Dirty Little Secret
by William Wolfe
Summary: Set during PoA, Cedric has a crush on Oliver, who feels the same way. But, when Hufflepuff defeats Gryffindor during the first Quidditch match of the year, can Oliver see past his obsession and declare his love? Oliver/Cedric. Chapter 1 re-edited.
1. Dirty Little Secret

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters seen in this story, nor do I own any of the places, sports, or Houses. Furthermore, I do not own the copyright to the song "Dirty Little Secret." Please, stop plagiarism.

WARNING: This is a slash fic, meaning male/male relationships. If that offends you in any way, shape, or form, please do not read this. I accept criticism, either good or bad, but any flames based on ignorance or intolerance will not be taken lightly and I will make sure of it.

Now, without any further interruption...

**DIRTY LITTLE SECRET**

CHAPTER 1: Dirty Little Secret

"For the last time, Diggory, I said no!"

"That's totally unfair! If it weren't for the dementors, Harry would have caught the Snitch! You know it, I know it, and Wood knows it, too! All I'm asking for is a rematch, that's all!"

"But you don't know that, Diggory! You two were neck and neck for the Snitch and the dementors coming onto the field was just another circumstance of the game, as unfortunate and _unfair_ as it may be! That is my final decision. No more of this nonsense."

"But, Madam..."

"_No more_, Diggory, or Hufflepuff will be disqualified from the championship altogether! Is that clear?"

Cedric Diggory, his sandy brown hair plastered against his squarish face by the torrential downpour outside the rickety tent, merely looked back into Madam Hooch's stern, hawk-like eyes, muttering,

"Yes, Madam Hooch. Perfectly clear."

With a curt nod and turning on her heel, Madam Hooch made her way out from under the tent and back into the continuous rain, returning to the school along with the remainder of the crowd. Cedric merely watched as she left, clenching his left fist as hard as he could, a defeated feeling washing over him in spite of winning the match. His fist squeezed hard enough to inadvertently shatter one of the lenses of his Seeker goggles. Opening his hand and glancing at the broken plastic, he sighed as he pulled his wand out from under his rain-soaked, canary yellow Quidditch robe.

He tapped the side of the eyepiece and muttered, "_Occulus reparo_." Instantly, the tiny shards danced from his hand and refitted themselves into the goggles.

"There," Cedric muttered unenthusiastically, "Good as new."

Placing the eyewear into his robes once more, a loud roar of rage caught his ear. It was clearly heard over the constant and deafening pitter-patter of the rain above, almost as if it was calling to the Hufflepuff student.

"_Diffindo,_" Cedric muttered as he grabbed a piece of the tent's door flap, severing the little piece to hold over his head as he plunged into the storm towards the locker building.

The sky above the grand Quidditch pitch was a dark, murky grey as the Hufflepuff Seeker ran through the storm, his flimsy cover having been blown off seconds after he stepped out from the relative dryness of the tent. His hair once again matted against his forehead and his robes whipping wildly due to the rushing rain and the howling wind, Cedric ran his right hand over his head, getting the stinging rainwater out of his warm, grey eyes. But, just as his fingers made contact, his left foot sank into the mire and stuck, causing him to fall forward into the mud with a disgusting squelch. He remained there for a moment and then lifted up his face, which was completely saturated from hairline to chin in a dirty mask. Rising to his feet once more, he continued to walk towards the roaring sound which emanated from the barely-visible locker building in front of him.

Several thoughts passed through the Seeker's mind as he trudged throught the turbulent rain, his hair and his robes continuing to get drenched and whipped around by the downpour and the swift wind. His mind raced, _Who could be in the locker rooms now besides the rest of the Hufflepuff team? But they should have left about ten minutes ago. I mean, the Gryffindors all left with Harry, didn't they? Of course they did! It's probably just Peeves planning another practical joke on the students. I should definitely tell the Bloody Baron about it when I see him next..._As if in response to that, another angered roar escaped from the locker building, immediately making Cedric rethink, _Okay, maybe it's not Peeves... But who could it be then?_ The wheels in his mind turned again for a moment before another thought hit him, _Fred and George Weasley! Probably trying to think up another prank. No better than Peeves, those two... Wait a minute. They went with Harry after he was taken to the hospital wing._ Thinking again, his final thought made his hopeful heart skip a beat, _Oliver._

_Let me know what I've done wrong_

_When I've known this all along_

_I go around a time or two_

_Just to waste my time with you_

There had always been something about the Gryffindor Keeper that drove the Hufflepuff Seeker absolutely insane. Well, a _lot_ of things that drove the Hufflepuff Seeker insane. _He has such determination in those big brown eyes, and the way he runs his hands through his hair,_ Cedric would muse as he laid in his four-poster bed, surrounded by dark gold curtains, twitching with lust and want as thoughts of the burly Scot would fill his mind. _That tan skin, his rough touch, that Scottish brogue,_ he could go on and on as he would toss and turn through his covers at night, a pillow between his legs as he fantasized about a romantic rendezvous with the Gryffindor. _What I wouldn't give for one night,_ Cedric would think every day as he sat in the Great Hall over his meals, eyeing Oliver as he laughed with his friends, concentrated on his schoolwork, or focused on Quidditch plays for his next match.

_Tell me all that you've thrown away_

_Find out games you don't wanna play_

_You are the only one that needs to know_

Surprised that he had now reached the door to the locker building, the Seeker's heart fell at that last thought. _Quidditch,_ he inwardly sighed, _I almost forgot. Wood probably hates me right about now, seeing as how I caught the Snitch as Harry fell._He placed his hand on the wooden door and pushed it open, the overwhelming smell of steam and sweat wafting into his nose, causing him to tense up a bit at the offending odor. _I forgot how bad it smells in here after a game, with all the showering and changing and..._Just at that moment, a rather... immodest thought of Oliver popped into his head as he set his muddy foot onto the white tile. Now completely inside the building, Cedric stepped further in and, with a loud, reverberating slam, the wooden door closed. Tracking mud along the floor, he walked down a long hallway until he reached two doors, labelled in gold with a red lion, "Gryffindor Locker Room." Tentatively, he outstretched his hand to push the door open, when another, smaller cry _of rage echoed throughout the building, followed by a continuing series of thumps. Cedric recoiled a_ bit and, after a moment, found the courage to enter the locker room, each thump seeming to coincide with his hammering heartbeat. As the door gave in, a great rush of warm steam blew into his face, causing him to cough a bit as he took cautious steps onto the red, gold, and white tiles, all the while repeating in his head, _I should not be in here... I should not be in here... I should not be in here..._

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret  
_

_(Dirty little secret)  
_

_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret  
_

_(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)  
_

_My dirty little secret  
_

_Who has to know_

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No!"

Oliver Wood, his short brown hair drenched by the unrelenting showerhead, continued to smash his head against the tile, mixing the disorienting pain with the constant white-hot pricks of the water. Clenched in his right hand was his wand: 13 inches of mahogany with a dragon heartstring as its core; _good for charms and splendidly rigid,_ as Mr. Ollivander had put it. At this moment though, the particular dimensions and composition of his wand were of little consequence, for all he wanted right now was to take out his anger and self-doubt on the world around him.

_However, _he thought, _the showers will do._

Turning around quickly and whipping the wand, Oliver cried, "_Bombarda!_" A white spark shot out of the end and collided with the opposite side of the communal shower, causing a loud explosion and sending pieces of red, gold, and white tiles, along with grey brick, scattering on the ground. A large hole was all that remained of the spot.

_When we live such fragile lives_

_It's the best way we survive_

_I go around a time or two_

_Just to waste my time with you_

His body heaving from the self-pity he was placing on his own shoulders, Oliver turned back slowly and continued to be buffeted by the hot water, resuming his head-smashing. He couldn't believe it: Gryffindor had lost.

_The Quidditch Cup is lost now,_ the Keeper thought, _ever since I was made Captain, that's all I've thought about, and how it was taken from me every year. My fourth year, Chadwick broke both of his wrists because of that damn Slytherin beater. My fifth year, Potter was incapacitated and we got destroyed by Ravenclaw. My sixth year, the final match with Hufflepuff was cancelled because of the bloody Heir of Slytherin. And now, my seventh year, my final chance to win the Cup, and it's been snatched away from me before we could even get off the ground. Ruddy dementors, why during this game? Why not one of Slytherin's games, or Ravenclaw's? Why us? This was my last chance for glory, and I completely blew it!_

With one more sigh, he rested his head against the wall and felt as the hot water ran through his face and his hair, down his neck, and all over his back and chest before moving down his private regions and along the contours of his legs, finally collecting in a small pool on the floor before flowing down the drain.

"Damn you, Diggory," Oliver muttered to himself, "Damn you."

_Tell me all that you've thrown away_

_Find out games you don't wanna play_

_You are the only one that needs to know_

Immediately, he felt a pang of regret when he had said that last statement; in fact, he actually adored the Hufflepuff Seeker. The way his sand-colored hair would fall in front of his luminous, steel grey eyes drove the seventh-year Gryffindor to the edge of his sanity as he watched Cedric every day over breakfast, lunch, and dinner as he laughed and talked. _In fact, it's no wonder he was put in Hufflepuff, too. He's so nice to everyone, _Oliver would think as he would watch the young Diggory help someone who had dropped their books, lead a lost first-year to their class, or give someone a compliment when they had had a bad day, even if he didn't know them. The Hufflepuff's helpful, good-hearted nature would just make the Gryffindor swoon all the more as he'd back against a stone wall and sigh, his spellbooks clutched against his heart. His thoughts weren't limited to personality or facial features either, as he had many... interesting dreams about how Cedric looked under the yellow and black of his robes, and how he would confess his love to Oliver before they consummated their passion for each other. In frustration though, he would wake up and face reality once more: Cedric Diggory was a straight boy and would never, _ever_ see him in that sort of way. _And so, I told myself that I would only admire the boy from afar,_ Oliver promised himself and confided his crush with his best friend and roommate, Percy Weasley.

_But, now,_Oliver thought, _Now, I can't even look him in the face after losing like that. He would never see me as an equal again. Only as the loser, the joke of a Captain who couldn't even win the Cup after years of trying. I can't look him in the eye._He slumped his well-defined shoulders and, completely crestfallen, just braced his head against the wall, the hot water offering no respite from the cold and emptiness he felt deep within his being. He almost missed a shuffle of sound to his right, around the corner just outside of the shower. Almost.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_(Dirty little secret)_

_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_

_(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)_

_My dirty little secret_

_Who has to know_

Tightening his grip on his wand, Oliver swivelled his head slowly and silently before making his way towards the entrance. His bare feet stealthily touched the tile floor without a sound as he came closer and closer to the rustling and the darkness of the locker room that stood around the corner from the showers. Then, just as the shuffling noise was upon him, Oliver raised his wand and, with a shout of, "_Lumos_," the tip of the wand and the entire corridor came into light.

There, before him, with a muddy front and drenched Hufflepuff Quidditch robes, was Cedric Diggory.

_Well,_Cedric thought as he stared down the shaft of the lit wand, _this is a rather precarious situation. I just beat Oliver Wood less than an hour ago, I hear roaring sounds, and now I have Mr. Wood himself pointing a wand at my face. Absolutely wonderful!_

A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and over his cheek as the white light illuminated that cherubic face, pulled in an uncomfortable mixture between surprise and annoyance, those wide, brown eyes hard and ruthless.

"Diggory," Oliver gasped, his surprised voice changing to a more bitter tone, "What the hell are you doing in here? This is Gryffindor's locker room!"

A quick chill ran up Cedric's spine as he heard the Scot say his name in that irresistable accent before he quickly noticed one very important detail: Oliver was stark naked. Aglow in the light from the wand's tip, the Keeper's rock-hard body shone through the darkness, his chest and abdominal muscles bathed in a lurid white light. Stunned to be in such a position, the Seeker, his mouth agape, couldn't take his eyes off the sight before him, his entire body too afraid to move lest this be some kind of twisted fantasy gone awry.

Young Diggory, the few mud-free splotches on his face becoming redder and redder, stuttered as he tried to hide his glee, embarassment, and the growing problem in his pants, "Ummm, sorry, Wood. I, er... I just came to see what all the, er, racket was in here. Y'see, I was on the field after the match and I heard yelling, so I..."

Oliver had had enough though as he bellowed sarcastically, "Don't worry about it, Diggory! You've already taken the Quidditch Cup from me, along with my dignity! What's the harm if I lose my modesty along the way?" He turned back around and stormed into the showers. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, "_Nox,_" and the light extinguished, followed by a clattering sound as he chucked his wand across the shower room, leaving it on the ground. The defeated Scot resumed wallowing under the shower stream, utterly depressed once more.

_The way he feels inside_

Hearing the Gryffindor Keeper stalk back into the showers, Cedric sighed. _He really wanted to win the cup this year. After everything that happened over the last few years, he just wanted that one moment of glory where he showed everyone that his team was the best, and I blew it for him. No wonder he hates me,_he thought as he stepped closer to the roundabout into the shower and slumped against the edge, not wanting to embarass himself or Oliver anymore by looking at the naked seventh-year. With a heavy heart, he sank down the wall and sat on the damp tiles of the floor.

_Those thoughts I can't deny_

"Listen, Wood," Cedric started his voice echoing between them, "I know you're angry at me because of what happened out there." He was answered only by the running water of the shower that Wood tried to drown himself in, so he continued, "But I want to beat Slytherin as much as you do, just to show the school that Hufflepuff isn't just a bunch of little goody two shoes, that we can kick some arse, too. Not to mention the fact that Hufflepuff hasn't won a single Quidditch Cup in over fifty years and, with my father always on my back, well, I have just as much to live up to as you do!" A flicker of his own annoyance and anger creeped into his voice, "You're not the only one who has a great team, and I think it's about time that Hufflepuff got its fifteen minutes of fame!"

Cedric got to his feet, thinking, _That arrogant Scot! He probably thinks that this is all about him! Well, I'll show him what's what!_He rounded the corner into the shower and immediately stopped, his grey eyes wide at what he saw.

There stood Oliver Wood, the object of Cedric's affection, under the showerhead, his face downcast as his hands braced against the tiled walls, the hot, steamy water running down his muscular back and over his firm backside. All of the Hufflepuff's anger went away instantly at the sight of this vulnerability that the Gryffindor was showing, that he never showed anyone before. The young man who never backed down from a Bludger as it came rocketing toward him, the young man who busied himself with his Quidditch obsession, the young man who held his own against Marcus Flint his very first year, this was who he really was. After a moment of hushed silence, Oliver turned his head around and glared at Cedric with his dark, cold eyes.

_These sleeping thoughts won't lie_

"Aye, this may be about me winning the Quidditch Cup for my final year," Oliver hissed through his clenched teeth, attempting to keep his anger in check, "This may be about my obsession with Quidditch and how I wanted to shove this victory in Flint's face. But there's one thing that outdoes all of that, _Mr_. Diggory." He took a few bold steps toward the Seeker, who cautiously stumbled back, "_You_ were the last one who saw Potter before he fell off his broom! _You_ were the one who kept going after he fell! _You_ were the one who neglected to even look back to see what was going on! You just kept going after the Snitch, completely oblivious to everything! Are you that thick? Are you that stupid as to miss something like that? Well, let me tell you something, _boy_, that's not the only thing you've been missing!"

_And all I've tried to hide_

_Did I just say what I think I did,_ Oliver queried to himself as a look of shock and fear spilled onto his face as he looked at the Hufflepuff Captain. It had all slipped out; a scolding for short-sightedness had suddenly turned into the confession that he was not ready to give. _What did I just do?_

The inevitable question came from Cedric's muddy lips, still so plump and beautiful under that filthy mask, "What do you mean, Oliver? What else did I miss?"

His inquisitive voice seemed to convey a mind full of thoughts, of assumed conclusions, of hope. Oliver had tried to turn around and move away from the Seeker, as if doing that would allow him to escape answering the question, but Cedric, his sullied hand clasping the Gryffindor's shoulder, held him in place.

"What is it, Wood?"

_It's eating me apart_

Millions of thoughts raced through Wood's head as he glanced down at his crush's gloved hand holding his shoulder, _What is he doing? I can't tell him 'cause I know he doesn't feel the same way. He's a straight boy, he likes girls, right? Of course he does! He wouldn't bother wasting time on a pathetic loser like me. I can't even win a rainy Quidditch match. Why would he..._Looking up from the Seeker's hand, his eyes connected with those beautiful grey orbs he had fallen for in the first place, so warm and full of life behind his luscious muddy hair. A pang caught in Oliver's stomach as one final sentiment passed his mind, _It's now or never, boyo._

He leaned his head forward and tilted slightly to the left, his last sight being Cedric's face as he closed his eyes and suddenly pressed his lips against his crush's. Then, he opened his mouth and swept his tongue slowly across the Hufflepuff's bottom lip, as if asking permission for further entry. Cedric conceded and opened his mouth, allowing the Gryffindor to take the kiss to a whole new level. So close to the Seeker's milky skin, Oliver could smell the rainwater that had thoroughly drenched him, and the inexplicably sweet taste of sweat and mud completely filled the Keeper's mind. Then, with a gasp, Cedric broke the kiss. Opening his eyes once more, Oliver came face to face with his former rival's shocked expression.

"I'm sorry, Cedric," the Gryffindor hurriedly apologized, scorning himself for losing control, "It's just that... I, er... You were here... and..." Another river of thoughts flooded his mind, _What in Merlin's name have I done? I've kissed Cedric Diggory! He's going to hate me now! He's going to run out of here and tell everyone about that loser pouf, Oliver Wood! People'll stare at me, they'll sneer, they'll say horrible things, and..._Suddenly, he felt a reassuring touch as Cedric ran his fingers behind Oliver's left ear.

"Shhhh… It's okay," the Hufflepuff coaxed, a shy smile on his filthy face, asked timidly, "Do you... like me, Oliver?"

_Trace this life out_

_He had figured it out,_ Oliver thought, a numb look growing on his wet face, _Well, of course he did! I just kissed the lad! There's no point hiding it now._

He sighed, his shoulders heaving as he held his crush's gaze before he whispered, "Aye. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

The Keeper continued to breathe heavily, _Here it comes. "Sorry, Oliver, I don't like you that way. I'm gonna go back to my common room and snog my girlfriend, so if you'll excuse..._

"I like you, too, Oliver."

For the first time, the Gryffindor's mind went completely blank. He muttered, "Wait a minute. What?"

Cedric's face was framed in a huge smile, the white of his teeth shining in contrast to his mucky face, as he repeated, "I like you, too. For a while now… I never thought you would feel the same way."

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_(Dirty little secret)_

_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_

_(Just another regret)_

A swell of relief and giddiness built up inside Oliver as new thoughts came to surface, _He likes me back? Cedric Diggory, the pride of Hufflepuff and heartthrob of every girl in Hogwarts, likes me back?_

His next thought came to his lips as he blurted out, "Oh, my god!"

Then, the Keeper quickly slipped his arms around Cedric and pulled him in for another kiss, and gasped when his new-found love returned the sentiment. Oliver's right hand, formerly behind the Hufflepuff's neck, moved upward and began to stroke through his wet, light brown hair, evoking a gasp of pleasure from the younger student. That gasp was swallowed into the kiss as the two pushed up against each other, enjoying the other's closeness and body heat. As if to thank his former rival for that one euphoric rush, Cedric lowered his hands and began to slowly massage Oliver's naked back, evoking another moan as the younger man ran his cold, pruny fingers down the elder's spine.

Managing to free his lips from the Gryffindor's embrace, Cedric mumbled, "We should really get back to the castle. People will probably think you've released a Bludger on me."

With reckless abandon, Oliver grabbed Cedric's wrists and forced his robed back against the shower wall, kissing and nipping at the boy's neck. Looking up for one brief moment, he answered, "You're right, but maybe we should clean up first. You're all muddy."

Heartily laughing, Cedric pointed out in his cutest matter-of-fact voice, "You've been kissing me, Mr. Wood. Your's is just as bad."

It was true though, the smeared mud that had coated Diggory's face less than fifteen minutes before had now been transferred, though not completely, to Wood's own dashing visage. With a devilish grin, Cedric continued, "But I wouldn't be against washing my face, if that's what you mean."

Mirroring that same decadent, erotic smirk, Oliver maneuvered the both of them under the stream of the showerhead, and continued kissing his new friend's neck, ending at the collar of his drenched Quidditch robes and then working his way back up. Cedric, groping Oliver's naked body, tensed up with pleasure as he felt a set of teeth gently nip the skin around his throat and gasped as he felt the rough stiffness of the Gryffindor's large member as it rubbed up against the fabric over his thigh, causing his own trousers to become rather tight. Water from the shower rushed over them, dripped through their hair, down their muddy, kissing faces, and all over their bodies, finally dripping onto the red, white, and gold tiled floor before flowing into the drain. Streams of brown water ran from their heads down as the mud slowly began to disintegrate and leave their faces, dissolving the mask between them.

Upon seeing all the grime leave his lover's face, the Keeper ran his rough, calloused hand over the Seeker's bare forehead, smiling at the skin on skin contact before saying, "Well, the mud is off our faces, and I have to get dressed." Pulling away from Cedric, he continued, "Not to mention that if you don't get into dry, clean clothes, you're going to be sick as a dog. So, why don't we head back up to the castle and," while moving his eyes down the Hufflepuff's body, "finish this a bit later."

To respond to that, Cedric leaned forward and gave the Gryffindor a peck on his lips, saying in a cheerful voice, "Okay. I gotta go get my clothes in the Hufflepuff locker room anyway. Meet me out there, 'kay?"

"Okay," Oliver replied with a genuine smile on his face.

Just as his new loverboy turned around, Cedric, his palm stretched, smacked him on his bum, evoking a yelp as the Keeper turned around, his face turning bright red.

The Seeker merely laughed and said, "I'll see you there."

Just as he walked to exit the shower, he noticed the gaping hole in the other side of the room brought on by Oliver's rage and a Bombardment Hex. Sighing a bit, he grabbed his wand and flicked it at the destroyed wall, muttering, "_Reparo!"_

Instantly, the little tiles and chunks of brick danced into the air and refitted themselves into the hole, until it was good as new. Looking back at Oliver, Cedric huffed with mock annoyance.

Innocently, the Gryffindor replied, "What! A fellow can't get angry?" He suddenly burst out laughing and ran after his new boyfriend, who bolted, commencing a new, frisky game of Naked Cat and Clothed Mouse. Echoing throughout the locker room was the Keeper's voice, shouting in a sing-song fashion, "Cedric, I love you! Cedric, I do! When we're apart, my heart beats only for you!"

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_

_(Dirty little secret)_

_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_

_(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)_

Outside the grand locker building, the storm continued to rage.

Back at the castle, in the Great Hall as the students and faculty of Hogwarts were sitting down for dinner, Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Ron, Hermione, and Percy all sat at the Gryffindor table, along with their fellow Lions. All crouched down as to keep their conversation as private as possible, they spoke of the day's past events.

"You know what I heard," Ron said, his flaming red hair falling in his eyes, "I heard that Wood stole that crate from Madam Hooch and let out a Bludger at Diggory. He'll probably be in the hospital wing for a week!"

Fred piped up, "Yeah, maybe he'll be able to keep Harry company."

"Yeah, that is if Harry doesn't kill him for destroying his broom," Angelina added, with a hearty laugh.

Apparently, imagining little Harry Potter trying to kick the snot out of the attractive Cedric Diggory was rather amusing.

Katie Bell, her blonde hair reflecting the candlelight, chimed in, "Would serve him right for what he did to us."

Sighing, Hermione pointed out, "Cedric is _not_ in the hospital wing."

"Oh, _really_? And just how would you know that, Miss I know everything," Ron asked indignantly.

Pointing over to the Hufflepuff table, she replied, "Because he's right over there eating with Preece and McAvoy."

Turning their heads around, the Gryffindors found that, sure enough, Cedric Diggory, now in his Hogwarts school uniform, was eating with his chasers, Preece and McAvoy. In fact, he looked rather merry.

Then, Hermione added with a pompous grin, "And thank you for that compliment, Ronald." She took even further pleasure as he sank his head onto his plate, brooding at being made a fool of by Hermione Granger, yet again.

"What're you talkin' about, guys?" said a deep voice with a Scottish accent.

The group of them turned again and found Oliver Wood, in his school uniform with his red and gold tie askew at his neck, his eyes wide with surprise and curiosity. He looked rather uncomfortably at all the faces staring at him, "What did I do?"

George began, "What happened after we left, mate? You just hid in the showers… Then we heard that Diggory went in and there was some screamin' goin' on! What happened?"

The rest of them looked on in extreme interest, the question having been on all their minds.

_My dirty little secret_

Fred added with his twin, "Yeah, did you bludgeon him? Make him cry for his mummy?"

_Dirty little secret_

Oliver swivelled his head around and looked at Cedric, who locked eyes with him before mouthing, "After dinner, you and me," and flashing that devilish, not-so-good-boy grin.

_Dirty little secret_

His face red, the Gryffindor Captain returned his gaze to his teammates and shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I guess that's just my dirty, little secret."

_Who has to know_

_Who has to know_

-END OF CHAPTER 1-

Author's Note: Hey there, fans! Yes, I'm back for now… Some of you may be wondering why there's no new chapter yet. Very simple… I wrote this story back when I was 17 or 18, and a little naïve in how love works. After reading, I thought to myself, there's a line between writing realistic romance and writing a fantasy. I will always try to write in a more realistic vein because these characters were meant to be portrayed as people, with layers of deep thought, even at the young age characters like Oliver and Cedric are. That in mind and with a few more years of narrative knowhow, I've decided to edit, and, in some cases, rewrite parts of the chapters I have now before I go on to the next chapter (which I do plan on doing for you guys who continue to read my work). Just… be patient, and thank you so much for the dedication some of my readers have given me.


	2. I'd Do Anything

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters seen in this story, nor do I own any of the places, sports, or Houses. Furthermore, I do not own the copyright to the song "I'd Do Anything." Please, stop plagiarism.

CHAPTER 2: I'd Do Anthing

"Eep! Oliver, your hands are freezing!"

"And I know just how to warm them up, eh, Ced?"

"You _do _know that your History of Magic class begins in ten minutes, as does my Charms class? We don't have enough time to..."

"I think I can change your mind."

"Oh, really? Well, let me tell you..."

Those beautiful red and gold fireworks flashed in front of his eyes once again, and every rule, every regulation, every semblance of the word "prefect" left Cedric Diggory's mind as their lips locked. The kiss had surprised him most definitely, but the shock was wearing off and that warm, familiar feeling surfaced, making his heart pound once more. Oliver's chapped lips, as cold as his hands from the November into December frost outside the castle, parted as he pushed deeper into the kiss and on top of the Hufflepuff, laying him down on the scarlet blanket of the four-poster bed. Cedric gasped as he felt the Gryffindor's warm tongue run over his bottom lip, as if asking for entrance, which was quickly admitted. The rush of warmth running throughout his body overwhelmed the young fifth-year as he bucked up his hips against his paramour's, rubbing his growing, sheathed erection against Oliver's thigh. Inhaling through his nose as he kissed back, the aroma of pine trees, cold air, and fresh grass mingled with the unique taste of Oliver Wood as Cedric wrapped his right leg around his boyfriend's. The cold of the Keeper's calloused hands began to recede as they moved beneath his untucked white shirt, running over abdominal and chest muscles, and caressing every inch of Diggory's milky skin.

For a moment, as Oliver broke the kiss and proceeded down his neck, Cedric sighed, his voice cracking, "Well then, I guess ten minutes is just enough time."

A giddy, tickling sensation rushed through his voice as he giggled at the softness of the kisses on his sensitive skin, nearly laughing as he felt the Gryffindor's cool lips and warm tongue just above his undone collar. Noticing now that his own arms were resting on the soft, red blanket of his boyfriend's bed, he brought up his right hand and stroked the back of Oliver's ear, grinning as the kisses abruptly ceased to be replaced by a contented, guttural moan. An amused thought passed by the Seeker's mind, _Aha! I know you love that little trick!_ Then, as Oliver flashed his warm, chocolate brown eyes, Cedric's mind went blissfully blank, all except one meager thought that repeated in his mind, _He's beautiful and he's mine._

_Another day is going by_

_I'm thinking about you all the time_

As if reading his thoughts, the Gryffindor whispered, "You're beautiful, y'know that?"

Continuing to stroke his lover's ear, the Hufflepuff replied, "No one's ever said that to me before I met you."

"I find that pretty hard to believe," Oliver reassured, his usually-gruff voice now smooth and sympathetic.

Cedric spoke the next words with clarity, continuing to run his boyish fingers along the ridge of Oliver's ear, "I mean, girls have told me that I was cute, hot, sexy, to die for..."

"Okay, I get the point," Oliver interrupted, putting up a silencing hand and grinning widely.

Sighing, Cedric continued, "But it's all just about what's on the outside. None of them actually took the time to get to know me and what I'm all about. I mean, I would go on a date with a girl that I thought was really interesting, but she would turn out to be total airhead and talk about herself the entire evening. It's not like that with you. I mean..." Immediately, his face began to get very warm as he blushed.

His face reddening just a bitas well, Oliver spoke with curiosity in his voice, "What is it about me?"

Never stopping as he rubbed the back of his boyfriend's ear, Cedric raised his other hand and grabbed Oliver's, interlocking their fingers as he asked timidly, "How long has it been, Ollie?" He knew the answer though, but looked away from those bulbous, brown eyes and to their joined hands, marvelling at the slight difference of skin color between the two of them. The Hufflepuff's being a very pale off-white, while the Gryffindor's was tan and dotted with light brown hairs on his knuckles.

_But you're out there_

_And I'm here waiting_

"Four weeks coming up," Oliver replied quickly, as if he had replayed the answer in his head time and again, "So, what do you want to do for our four week anniversary?" His face turned upwards in a grin, that devilish grin that drove the Hufflepuff Seeker to the edge of sanity.

Cedric let out a snort of amusement as he thought, _Who in the right mind celebrates a four week anniversary? Why not wait for one month to roll by? It's crazy, it's ludicrous, it's_, before catching a glimpse of Oliver's eyes again and falling back into his blissful blankness. He spoke with a misty, breathy tone, "Well, Hogsmeade is coming up soon, isn't it? Why don't we spend the day together there?"

"Wonderful," the Keeper replied, his grin becoming much wider as he came back up to Cedric's face, "Now, where were we?"

Cedric, his breathing growing faster and faster again, watched as his boyfriend closed his eyes and came closer to his face. First, Oliver's whole face, then his two eyes, then his eyelashes...

BANG.

----------

"Oy, Oliver! You in here?"

A quick thought ran across Oliver Wood's mind as he jerked back, _I'd recognize that voice anywhere! Percy! Not now!_ He turned around and saw the red-haired Head Boy standing at the door in his school robes, his badge gleaming brilliantly on his collar as his face contorted in shock. After a moment though, his hand shot up to cover his eyes as he stood there awkwardly, completely mortified.

"Oh, my goodness! I am so sorry, Ol! I had no idea that you were in here with him," Percy blurted, his ears and face becoming just as red as his hair before he added, "Oh, and sorry, Cedric."

Pushing himself off of Cedric and separating their hands, Oliver gave a quick, smiling nod to the Hufflepuff, who appeared to be trying to suppress a roar of laughter, before turning to Percy, saying, "It's okay, Perce. We weren't doing anything bad. We were just... studying." Suddenly, with a look to each other, the two lovebirds just burst out laughing. _I can't believe we got caught making out by Percy, of all people, _Oliver thought, _I will never forget the look on his face for as long as I live! I thought he was going to have a bloody heart attack, for Merlin's sake!_ He got one more look at Percy, who's eyes were now downcast and his ears even more red, as though he were absolutely embarassed. With a reassuring gaze, Wood slowed his laughter and rose from the bed, his shoes making a dull thump as they landed hard on the carpeted floor. He swiftly stepped across the room and, in a soft, understanding tone, said, "Don't worry about it, Perce. It could've been a lot worse. We could've been naked and snoggin' in _your_ bed."

His eyes wide, the Head Boy's head popped up and looked at Oliver with disbelief, as if he had blasphemed, "If you ever..."

"Don't worry, man. Besides, we were just leaving anyway," the Keeper interrupted, "I've got a History of Magic lesson in two minutes and Ced's got to get to Charms. Right, Ced?"

Oliver relished the shocked expression that tore onto Cedric's face, as if he had just seen a ghost. Then, like the Firebolt that Oliver had become so fond of during his musings in Diagon Alley during the summer, the Hufflepuff, who, within seconds, had pulled on his robes and gathered his books into his bag, said with manic energy, "What? I've only got two minutes to get to Charms! Professor Flitwick's going to be so angry at me! He's going to give me detention and I'm going to lose fifty points from Hufflepuff, and everyone's going to hate me and..."

_And I wrote this letter in my head_

_'Cause so many things were left unsaid_

_Here we go, again, _Oliver thought, rolling his eyes as he slowly walked up to his frazzled boyfriend, grabbed his yellow and black tie by its crook, yanked him in, and planted a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips. The smell of cinnamon and sweet grass flooded through the Gryffindor's mind and mixed with the unique taste of Cedric Diggory, which had always drove him mad ever since that first kiss almost four weeks ago. After a moment, the Keeper could tell that his paramour had started to lose his tension and practically melted into his arms. He broke the kiss and, holding up Cedric's chin with one cool, calloused hand, said quietly, "You've got to calm down. This will be the first time you've been late to a class since... ever. At the worst, you'll cost your House five points, and I don't think that's enough for anyone to start hating you. Besides, even if they did, you've still got me. We're still on for our day in Hogsmeade, right?"

"Of course," Cedric sighed, obviously calmed down, "I've got to go though." Grinning so that his warm, grey eyes sparkled behind his sandy-brown hair, the Hufflepuff gave his sweetheart a peck on the cheek before briskly heading towards the door. Turning for a moment, he gave a brief wink back at Oliver and then exited to attend his Charms class.

Percy Weasley, who had also calmed down a bit after his embarassing run-in with the two Quidditch Captains, turned back and shouted down the staircase, "By the way, that's ten points from Hufflepuff for being in another House's dormitory, Diggory!"

There was a brief pause in which not a sound could be heard besides the wind howling out on the grounds. Then a roar echoed through the spiral staircase and into the Gryffindor seventh-year dormitory.

"_WHAT?_"

Percy turned back around and closed the heavy, wooden door, looking over to a smiling Oliver as he shook his brown-haired head. The Head Boy, an expression of great amusement on his face, said, "What did _I_ do? _He's_ the one who broke the rules!"

_But now you're gone_

_And I can't think straight_

Oliver, who had retrieved his bag from the side of his bed, shook his head and asked with gleeful curiosity, "You enjoyed doing that, didn't you?"

The red-headed Gryffindor likewise shook his own head and with a wide, toothy smirk, muttered, "You have no idea."

_This could be the one last chance_

_To make you understand_

----------

_"I know I tell you this a lot, Ced. But you really are beautiful," Oliver would say as he looks into my eyes, his chocolatey brown into my steely grey._

_"Nowhere near as beautiful as you, though," I'll say back, because I know it's true. The gentle curve of his angelic face, the warm glow of his shining brown eyes, the way his soft, brown hair sways in the midday breeze; he is absolutely, unabashedly, inexplicably perfect as he grabs my hand from his side of the cafe table._

_Around us, dozens of different couples from Hogwarts sit, gazing into their partner's eyes, completely unaware of two of the most blissful men in the wizarding-- no, the whole world. It's snowing outside, and we would watch as all the younger students flit about, buying their sweets from Honeydukes or their pranks and tricks from Zonko's, but never intruding upon our little world. We would just sit there, losing ourselves in each other, talking and laughing and reminiscing. And sooner or later, after all the memories and the giggles, in that one moment of pure, blissful silence, he would lean in towards me and, as our lips touch, all the cold of the air would be wiped away, every doubt erased, every question answered. The fireworks I see everytime we kiss will make their biggest show yet, and I can feel the taste of Oliver's lips in my mouth, mingling with the beautiful, natural smell of him; like a cold wind blowing through an evergreen forest._

_This is my perfect moment. _Our_ perfect moment._

_I'd do anything_

_Just to hold you in my arms_

_As we break the kiss, I can feel my insides begging for more, and I coax myself into resisting. I continue to watch him as his face begins to flush with a bright red that isn't unlike the radiant scarlet of Gryffindor House, but soon I feel the same flush as the blood runs to my face. So this is love._

_There is a moment of weird silence. Not a bad kind of weird, but a good kind; as if everything has gone right in the world and nothing could ruin it. But then he gazes at me once again, and I find myself completely lost in those luminous eyes as he reaches forth and grabs my hand again. His chapped lips move and suddenly he says the words that I have been longing to hear since I first laid eyes on him._

_To try to make you laugh_

_'Cause somehow I can't put you in the past_

_"I love you, Cedric Diggory."_

_My heart is aflutter at hearing this; as if a great weight has suddenly been plucked off my heart, and all that I would know now is bliss. Through the millions of butterflies turning in my stomach, I muster up the courage to look at him once more, and through the tears of joy in my eyes, I say it._

_I'd do anything_

_Just to fall asleep with you_

_"I love you, too, Oliver Wood."_

_The smile on his face becomes so toothy, so child-like, that I just fall in love all over again. We get up from the table, our hands clasped together as if we were never going to let go, and we walk together towards the door, our feet always on the same step. Then, as I open the door and we prepare to go outside, I hear a faint tinkling of bells that sounds like a faraway, little voice. It slowly gets louder and louder and soon the voice begins to string recognizable sounds together._

_"M... D...g...y..."_

_What a curious sound! I wonder what could be making it? I listen even closer and soon a name becomes clear._

_"Mr. Diggory..."_

_Mr. Diggory? Why that's my name! Why would I be thinking of my own name in my little daydream? Such lunacy..._

_"Mr. Diggory!"_

Cedric, his head resting in his boyish hand, opens up his eyes, sighing and smiling as the classroom comes into the focus. The bright fairies around the edge of the room, all aglow like the night sky on a clear midsummer's night, become the first to come into focus, followed by the brilliant candles that float above the classroom, throwing the columns of books into sharp relief. The final thing to come into view materializes right in front of his face: great plumes of kinky, white hair atop a visage of pale, wrinkled skin and light, glittering blue eyes.

Professor Flitwick stood before him, tapping his miniscule foot on his pedestal of spellbooks. By the look on his face, he wasn't pleased at the Hufflepuff's daydreaming.

"Welcome back, Mr. Diggory," Professor Flitwick said, his white brow rustling as he gazed down at the Seeker, "I hope that your little dream wasn't so distracting that you did not hear the incantation for the Sleeping Charm. Although I very much doubt that you even need such a spell, considering as how you so easily did so during my lesson. Would you care to explain yourself?"

Cedric immediately sat up and got out his spellbooks and parchment, his face becoming red at receiving a scolding from the pint-sized professor and at the giggles and laughs he got from his onlooking classmates. His hair fell down in front of his eyes again, forcing him to push it back as he rummaged through his spellbook, trying desperately to find the page containing the Sleeping Charm. Once he had located it, he looked up sheepishly to find Professor Flitwick still standing there, wand in hand, tapping his little foot on the cover of Heidi Ridgefrinkle's _Guide to Humiliating Hexes and Confounding Curses_. His normally kind, celestial blue eyes now appeared as cold and hard as a slab of permafrost.

Diggory merely muttered, "I'm terribly sorry, Professor. I've just been very anxious over the past three or four weeks and it's been getting to me. I swear that this will never happen again. I _swear_." Afterwards, he cast down his eyes to the spellbook, suddenly becoming very interesting in the Sleeping Charm as his mind raced, _Here it comes. A speech about schoolwork and responsibility from Professor Flitwick. "Nothing should come between a student and his homework. Not relationships, not social gatherings, no nothing." Better brace yourself, Ced, 'cause here it comes..._

However, no scolding came from the little professor; in fact, just an annoyed sigh came from the man as he spoke, "Very well, Diggory. Spend the rest of this class reading up and practice the spell for homework. But I had better not see you falling asleep in my class again. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Cedric replied, looking up at Professor Flitwick with an expression of disbelief and graciousness, "Of course."

_Will you remember me_

With a smile and a grunt of contentment, the small professor returned to looking over the other students' handiwork, watching and correcting each error and praising those who had mastered the charm already. Back at his desk, Cedric feverishly took notes on the Sleeping Charm, putting the enticing dream he had just had to the back of his mind as he worked.

_'Cause I know I won't forget you_

----------

"Really good practice today, Ol," Fred Weasley said, a smile on his face as he looked over to the Gryffindor Captain, "If we keep this up through December, Ravenclaw shouldn't be a problem at all!"

Oliver groaned, "Not if Potter doesn't get a new broom. Those rickety school ones aren't at all suited to Seeking, especially not against that girl, Chang. She's a bloody devil, she is!" Little else had come to Wood's mind during the practice besides the huge drop in Harry's efficiency since his Nimbus was wrecked, as he had been forced to use the school's brooms, which weren't nearly up to scratch for his position of Seeker. _He has got to order a new broom soon, _he thought as they trudged through the field, the frosty grass crunching underfoot, _Maybe a Cleansweep Seven or a Nimbus Two Thousand and One? Hell, even a Comet Two-Sixty would be fine, seeing as how that's what Chang's got! But he has got to get a move-on or we don't have a prayer come the match against Ravenclaw!_ His head and stomach began to ache with worry as thoughts of losing the Quidditch Cup bubbled to the surface, _This is my last chance at the Cup! I almost lost it during the game with Hufflepuff, and I would never be able to look Marcus Flint in the eye if I lost again. Ruddy dementors! This is all their fault! I swear, if they come to the next match, I'm gonna bash those buggers into the ground! _His fist clenched around his broom handle and continued to close, until he heard the small snapping of the fibers within the wood and desisted.

_Together we broke all the rules_

_Dreaming of dropping out of school_

_To leave this place_

_And never come back_

George took notice of his Captain's frustration and coaxed, "Well, we're going to dinner now since it's almost seven. Maybe a good bit of food and drink will make you feel better." His face was pulled in a polite smile as he attempted to cheer Oliver up, but to no avail.

"Eh, maybe," the Keeper replied unenthusiastically. _There's only a few things that would make me feel better, and, right now, food isn't one of them. _He then began to muse, _Harry telling me he's ordering a new broom would be one thing to brighten my mood. The whole of the Slytherin team breaking their legs would be another. What else? Let's see... _Then, as if to answer his question, a familiar shape walked out of the distant castle, with light brown hair and light skin. Though still a good distance away, the Gryffindor Captain immediately knew who it was as his mind began to cloud in a dream-like state, _Cedric._

_There really is nothing like a snowy Hogsmeade; everything just seems to be so warm and inviting. The cobblestone streets filled with wide-eyed Hogwarts students, each and every one of them pointing with their faces expressing awe. Even the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted building in all of Britain, looks majestic and radiant covered in a sheet of pure, white snow. But everything just seems to fall into the background as I stare at the beauty sitting right in front of me._

_So now maybe after all these years_

_If you miss me have no fear_

_Cedric, his neck and chin wrapped up in his Hufflepuff black and yellow scarf, doesn't appear to be enjoying the cold as much as I am. The brisk, winter breeze flows in from the open doors and into the cafe, running across my exposed face like a lover's caress, but Cedric just sits there hunched over, his shivering, gloved hands held under his armpits and his breath quite visible as erratic clouds burst from his mouth and nose. I feel so sorry for him as I take off my own jacket and rise from my seat._

_"W...What are y...you d...doing," he stutters as I move behind him._

_Like a gentleman, I drape my jacket over his shoulders, saying, "You need it more than I do, Ced." Just as I stand over him, the unmistakable cinnamon smell wafts from him as I inhale. Ahhh, the essence of Cedric Diggory. For a moment as I return to my seat, I just watch my little Hufflepuff as he clutches the second jacket, shivering slighty less and looking up at me with those resonant grey eyes, so full of gratitude._

_I'll be here_

_I'll be waiting_

_Maneuvering himself to sit up a bit straighter, he mutters, "Thanks. Thanks a lot." I can see some color returning to his child-like cheeks, creating a light flush of pink on his face as he manages a chattering smile. Inwardly, I'm swooning as I lock my eyes with his, that familiar, warm feeling taking hold as it did whenever our eyes met._

_"No problem at all," I said, grinning like a fool. Continuing to watch him, I lose myself in his eyes as my next thoughts spill out of my mouth, "You're so handsome." I immediately feel my face turn a dark red as the blood rushes to my face; how embarassing!_

_He just starts laughing. The cold has affected him so that it's shallow and sickly, but it's that same Cedric laugh that I absolutely adore; his broad shoulders bob up and down, his wide smile pushing up so much that his eyes appear to be closed. He speaks through his giddiness, "Not as handsome as you are when you're embarassed, I'll tell you that much!" He removes one of his hands from under his arm and grabs the handle of a steaming mug on the table. He brings the cup up to his lips and drinks, a light moan escaping from him as the hot liquid hits his lips. A moment later, he brings the mug down and sets it back on the table. I laugh at him once again, at the small stream of cocoa that leaks out of his mouth, at the juvenile way he uses his forearm to wipe his lips, which have become even more pink._

_"Wow," I say in a trance._

_This could be the one last chance_

_to make you understand_

_He looks at me again and cocks an eyebrow, "What is it?"_

_And I just can't let you_

_leave me once again_

_It slips out. The one thing I've been wanting to tell him since I first met him. I mean, I had said it in the locker room that day, but it was only as a joke as I chased him around. Now, though, now I mean it and there is no way of stopping it as the warm feeling in my heart and stomach gets the best of me. It rumbles in my lungs as it comes up my throat, over my tongue, through each of my teeth, and between my lips, leaving a strange, satisfying warmth that dulls my senses as I say it. When I hear it in my ears, it's as if I'm hearing another man say it._

_I'd do anything_

_Just to hold you in my arms_

_"I love you, Cedric Diggory."_

_To try to make you laugh_

_'Cause somehow I can't put you in the past_

_A look of mild shock appears on his visage, as if that was not what he had expected to hear. But, within seconds, that glow in his eyes comes back and his expression softens, and it seems that every trace of what I had just said vanished. That is, until he speaks once more._

_"And I love you, Oliver Wood."_

_I'd do anything_

_Just to fall asleep with you_

_My heart does a triple backflip at the thought, _It isn't just a physical attraction or a fling, it's love! Love!_ I grab his one hand with both of mine, bringing it up to my mouth as I kiss his gloved digits repeatedly. The bitter taste of the leather creeps into my mouth, but I don't care, I've found love! I desist and put both of my hands on his head before swiftly colliding our lips together._

_Will you remember me_

_This isn't like the kisses we've shared at the school, it seems so much more... better. That familiar warmth that spreads from my lips to all the parts of my body has intensified to what feels like a flame erupting inside of me. The gentleness of his touch that feels like soft down feathers now feels as if I'm being kissed by the wings of thousands of butterflies. The feeling of it all, it's just incredible! I open my mouth and he immediately opens his, without waiting for my tongue to ask permission, as if we're connected by more than our lips. Our tongues wage a war against each other for dominance, and each time they touch, a tingle of pleasure runs down my spine and I feel my trousers tighten around my groin. I'd do anything for this man, anything for this feeling. He breaks the kiss and looks deep into my eyes._

_'Cause I know I won't forget you_

_"Oliver," he says, those grey orbs delving deep into my soul._

_I reply readily, "Yes?"_

_"Oliver."_

_"I'm here, Ced."_

_"Oliver."_

"Oliver, open your eyes!"

WHAM.

It hit Oliver like a ton of bricks as he fell flat on his arse, the broomstick he was carrying now falling on the grass with a thump. Bringing up his hands to massage his head as it pulsed with pain, he opened his eyes and was met with a huge oak tree that appeared to have come out of nowhere. Red in the face, he looked around and saw Fred and George on their knees, howling with laughter as another boy ran up to him, his face blurred for the moment.

"My goodness, Oliver, are you okay," the boy said as he grabbed Oliver by his right hand and hoisted him onto his feet.

The pain was beginning to subside as the Gryffindor wrinkled up his nose a little bit, making sure that everything worked. But then, the boy's Hufflepuff tie caught his attention, as did the prefect badge pinned to his collar. Looking up, his heart jumped once more as he gazed on Cedric's visage.

_I close my eyes_

_And all I see is you_

The Keeper nodded, putting his hand up to his head and checking for blood, replying, "Aye, I'm all right. Just a bit shocked though. It's not every day you run into a tree."

At that moment, Fred and George Weasley, their faces as red as their hair from laughing so hard, stumbled up to the two of them. Sweat was dropping down their foreheads as they held onto their Captain for support.

"You should have seen your face, mate," Fred gasped, through bouts of laughter, "I won't forget it for as long I live!"

George gave a thumbs-up as he muttered through chuckles, "So graceful and smooth, my dear Captain! I don't think I've seen anyone who can smash into a tree with such fluidity!"

_I close my eyes_

_I try to sleep_

_I can't forget you_

Oliver, his face red with embarassment, looked down at the ground, suddenly very interested in the little pebbles that dotted the frost-ridden grass. _I'm such an idiot, _he thought, _I can't believe I walked into a bloody tree. How stupid am I?_ While continuing to kick himself, he was suddenly roused from his self-pity by a roar of anger. Looking up, he was met with a red-faced Cedric, a vein throbbing in his forehead and his usually warm, grey eyes now ablaze like molten steel.

"Leave him alone," he roared, and the Weasley twins immediately ceased their jesting, "So he walked into a tree! Big deal! I'll bet both of you have done something embarassing in your lives? Do you like it when people laugh at you after that? Huh?"

_And I'd do anything for you_

"It was only a," Fred began in a quiet voice, apparently flabbergasted at this sudden display of anger from a Hufflepuff, and Cedric Diggory at that.

"I don't care," Cedric bellowed, cutting him off, "Five points from Gryffindor! Now go on to dinner, both of you!"

Scoffing a bit, the twins, not wanting any more points taken from their House for such a trivial problem, turned around and headed into the castle, saying things such as "smarmy bugger" and "it was only a joke."

Oliver was stunned, his mind blank for several moments as he stared at his boyfriend's rage-flushed face. _I have never seen this side of him,_ the Gryffindor thought at long last, _Usually, he's so laid-back about everything. He's never blown up like that before, and, to be completely honest, I really don't want to see that happen again._ Finally getting control of himself, Wood reached out his left hand and placed it on the Hufflepuff's shaking shoulder, asking, "You all right, man?"

After taking in a deep breath and calming himself down, Cedric replied, "Yeah." He then glanced up at Oliver, his grey eyes connecting with his lover's brown ones, and began in a flurry, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me! It's just I thought you were hurt and they just started laughing and I completely lost it and..."

_I'd do anything_

_Just to hold you in my arms_

"You're doing it again," Oliver said in a sympathtic tone as he rubbed his hand along the shoulder of the Seeker's robes, "You have seriously got to calm down."

Taking another deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment, the Hufflepuff reopened them and turned his whole body to face the Gryffindor, "I'm really sorry I blew up like that. Believe me, it doesn't happen often."

"I would hope not," the Keeper replied, as if trying to stifle a laugh as another thought came to his mind, _He is so going to kill me for what I'm about to say._ He quickly stated, "'Cause you look _ugly_ when you're angry!" He then burst out laughing as Cedric's jaw dropped in shock.

_To try to make you laugh_

_'Cause somehow I can't put you in the past_

Finally composing himself and putting a smile on his face, Diggory poked Wood's chest with his index finger, saying in his matter-of-fact tone, "Well, _you're_ not exactly cute when you're embarassed, Mr. I-think-I'm-so-cute-all-the-time. In fact..."

A wickedly devilish grin spreading across his face, Oliver circled around Cedric and advanced, forcing him up against the tree before asking, "'In fact,' what?"

Looking up to his burly, Scottish boyfriend, the Hufflepuff stood on his tip toes and replied, "_In fact, _you're _hot_ when you're embarassed." With that, he grabbed the crook of Oliver's Gryffindor red and gold tie and yanked him in for a sweet kiss as he pressed himself back against the bark of the oak tree.

_I'd do anything_

_Just to fall asleep with you_

_Wow,_ Oliver thought back to when he had done this earlier as a surprised groan escaped into Cedric's mouth, _That was unexpected._

Oliver then closed his eyes and fell into the moment. He brought up his right hand and rested it behind the Seeker's neck, fondling his locks of hair and smiling a bit at the moan he received while putting his left hand on the small of his back, rubbing his thumb against the fabric of his paramour's robes. This time, it was Cedric who ran his tongue along Oliver's bottom lip, asking for entry. Quickly admitted, the sensitive tongues of the two Quidditch Captains began their war for dominance, and each clash between them sent shivers down their spines, as if _this_ was their perfect moment. Cedric wrapped his arm around Oliver's neck, pulling him even closer into the kiss as his other hand ran through the chestnut strands of the Keeper's hair, his nails skimming over the scalp and getting a gasp of pleasure from such a sensitive touch.

_Definitely unexpected,_ Oliver thought as he broke the kiss and stuttered, clearing his throat a few times, "We sh...should really g...get to din...ner. You're a prefect and you should b...be there."

_Will you remember me_

Apparently thinking it over, Cedric shook his head and said in a childish voice, "Nah. I like where I am just fine, thank you." He then pressed his lips against Oliver's once more, enjoying their undeniably perfect moment.

_'Cause I know I won't forget you_

----------

_This is wonderful, _Cedric thought to himself later that night as he lay on his bed in the Hufflepuff fifth-year dormitory, _I don't have night-watch tonight, so I can just lay here and have a good night's sleep! Yeah right! _He stretched out his arms and yawned, clutching the gold-colored quilt and glancing at the gold curtains of the four-poster bed. Two beds to the right, he could hear Herbert Fleet, Hufflepuff Keeper, snoring peacefully when, suddenly, the door burst open and in came his other three roommates.

Andrew Parkin, Devon Landon, and Phineas Cork all came rushing into the room, yawning, stretching, and looking as if they were in desperate need of some sleep. Immediately, Cedric popped up, looking at all of them with wide, alert eyes.

His mouth stretched out from fatigue, Andrew asked as he rubbed the circles under his amber eyes, "Why are you so awake? Usually, you're worse than us!" He ran a hand through his short, black hair and collapsed onto his bed.

Phineas, a tall, lanky boy with light grey eyes and white-blond hair, spoke with a hoarse, tired voice, "Yeah, it's not night-watch for you tonight, so I thought that you would be getting some shuteye before the rest of us."

"I thought the same," Devon added in, his eyes red and bloodshot.

Cedric shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm just not tired, that's all. I've had a really great day."

Andrew just shook his head and slammed it on his pillow, said, "Good for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to sleep now or I'll be nodding off in Potions tomorrow."

Devon fell back onto his bed, chuckling as he muttered, "Eh, with Snape teaching that class, it doesn't matter whether you get sleep or not. You'll nod off anyway."

"Yeah, but then he drops some Veritaserum into your mouth while you're sleeping and you start blabbing off to everyone once you wake up. Then, to add insult to injury, he takes ten points from your House. Wonderful chap, Snape is. Absolutely wonderful," Phineas mused sarcastically as he got under his covers and fell almost immediately into a deep sleep. If one of them hadn't known that Phineas never snored, they would have thought he had died, he was so silent.

Andrew, his voice slurred, added, "Yeah, quite the charmer," before he, too, sank into a deep sleep.

"Definitely," Devon finished as his eyes closed and his gentle breathing joined the chorus of Herbert, Phineas, and Andrew.

After a moment, with the silence only broken by the inhales and exhales of the slumbering Hufflepuffs, a lump from under Cedric's covers spoke in a familiar Scottish brogue, "Did the Draught work? Are they all asleep?"

_I'd do anything_

_To fall asleep with you_

"Yeah, it worked like a charm. You can come out now, Oliver," the Seeker whispered to the lump, who freed himself from the confines of the bed, "You never told me, how is it that no one said anything about you coming in here?"

Oliver, as he fingered the buttons of his shirt, asked, "What do you mean?"

_I'd do anything_

_There's nothing I won't do_

Cedric turned to face him completely, replying, "I mean, you have three other roommates: Percy, Geoff Staunch, and Rhyss O'Brien. Didn't they say anything to you about sleeping in another House dormitory?"

"Well, Geoff and Rhyss don't know about us yet," Oliver responded, casting off his unbuttoned shirt, "And Percy..."

His voice now very curious, the Hufflepuff said, "Go on. What about Percy?"

Trying to stifle a laugh, the Gryffindor finished, "I told him that if he said anything about us, you and I would snog in his bed naked."

_I'd do anything_

_To fall asleep with you_

The two of them burst out laughing as Cedric crawled over to a naked Oliver on all fours, running a finger down the side of his sculpted chest before saying, "I love you, Oliver Wood, you know that?"

His brown eyes glittering, the Gryffindor replied, "I know. And I love you, Cedric Diggory."

_I'd do anything_

_'Cause I know I won't forget you_

Closing the gap between them, a great flurry of red and gold fireworks flashed across Cedric's eyes as their lips connected, more than any he had ever seen. The warmth he felt now was like a raging fire, the softness, like a butterfly's kiss, their love, like the pyramids of Egypt: able to withstand the great test of time. The first perfect moment of many to come. Grabbing his wand from his nightstand, Cedric gave one wave and the gold curtains around his bed flew around them, shielding them from any prying eyes.

Outside the window that showed the great black of night, a flurry of snowflakes dropped from the sky.

-----END OF CHAPTER 2-----


	3. Accidentally In Love

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters seen in this story, nor do I own any of the places, sports, or Houses. Furthermore, I do not own the copyright to the song "Accidentally in Love." Please, stop plagiarism.

CHAPTER 3: Accidentally in Love

"L...look at all th...that s...snow. I c...can't believe it's b...been g...g...going on all w...week."

"I know, Ced. Why don't you sit away from the window for a bit. You're shivering badly."

"No. I l...like it here. Ev...verything's s...so peaceful."

"Not your voice, Ced. I don't want you getting sick before Christmas. You know how guilty I'd feel for letting you stay here?_"_

"I d...don't want y...you to wor...ry about it...t...t."

"I wouldn't worry that much if you would just sit a bit farther from the window. It's bloody freezing, and that's saying something! You know how much I love the cold!"

It was true, but Cedric Diggory absolutely _hated_ the cold. He enjoyed Christmas, the presents, mistletoe, snow, snowball fights, snowmen, and even the season of winter itself, but could never adapt to the cold that came along with all those blessings and distractions. Yet, every year, without fail, as the snow drifted down outside the tall windows of the Hogwarts library and onto the pure, white grounds below, he would sit there in that same seat only feet away from the large pane, getting the full blast of cold air as the frigid winds whipped against the glass. Taken to wearing his heavy winter robes, his Hufflepuff yellow and black scarf, and several layers of sweaters and socks, the young Seeker still would hunch over the table, his hands clutched under his arms for body heat and his teeth chattering inside his head as if each tooth was trying to escape its icy prison. But every year though, he would sit there, just watching as each miniscule snowflake fell from the cloudy, grey sky and joined its billions of brothers on the ground, only to be trampled by the young, carefree students as they pelted each other with snowballs or laid on their backs to make snow angels.

_So peaceful, _the Hufflepuff thought, _The snowflakes falling, the students playing, the gentle crackling of the torches... All so wonderful._ Then, as he continued to stare out the window, perhaps counting the myriad of flakes, a warm, calloused hand tenderly touched his face from behind, and a rush of warmth emanated from the spot, flooding throughout his entire body. _I know who that is, _Cedric thought, turning his head around towards the owner of the hand and smiling as those bulbous, chocolate eyes came into view, though full of concern.

In his irresistable Scotsman brogue, the Gryffindor asked with a worried voice, "Your skin's like ice, Cedric!"

Laughing on the inside, the prefect thought, _He hasn't called me Cedric for weeks, it's always Ced or something. He only uses that name when he has something important to say and he's trying to get my attention. _In a stutter, he replied, "W...well, it _is_ wint...ter, Oliv...ver." Attempting to make light of the situation, Cedric tried to laugh, but only managed a shrill squeak that scratched at his throat.

Oliver was not amused, "You're coming up to my dormitory. You need to warm up and get some rest, and the Gryffindor dorms are closer than Hufflepuff's." Getting up from his seat, he walked behind the Hufflepuff and grabbed him underneath his armpits, evoking a weak giggle from the fifth-year that managed to get a small smile out of the older student.

"Usual...l...ly, y...you're laughing...g at s...stuff like this...s," Cedric moaned as he attempted to pull himself out of the chair, his extra clothes making him much heavier and bulky.

With his arms rubbing against the fabric over his boyfriend's frigid shoulders, the Keeper half-grinned as he replied, "I'll laugh after you stop shivering. The last thing you need for Christmas is pneumonia."

_So he said what's the problem, baby_

_What's the problem I don't know_

_Well, maybe I'm in love (love)_

The feeling of Oliver's support on his shoulders sent pulsating waves of warmth across his icy skin and deep into his frozen innards as each step taken made his legs feel weaker and more rubbery, so much that when they had exited the library and attempted to go up the first of many stairs to Gryffindor Tower, his right leg gave out. The Keeper's quick reflexes had kept Cedric from feeling the hard embrace of the marble floor, but in that moment where the Hufflepuff's arms were around Oliver's neck, and the Gryffindor's arms were on Cedric's waist, it would have seemed to any passerby that the seventh-year had spontaneously dipped the prefect. Their eyes met once again, and suddenly his skin began to feel warm once again; in fact, his skin was hot!

"Is...s it hot in h...here, or is it just m...me." Cedric stuttered. Apparently, he had yet to warm the shiver out of his voice.

Glancing up and down the Hufflepuff's overly-bundled frame, Oliver replied with a smile, "Well, you _are_ wearing a good fifty layers of clothing, Ced."

A hearty laugh sounded between the two, though Cedric's still sounded frail and shallow-voiced, as if a vice had begun to clamp around his throat, but it was still that same Diggory laugh. His shoulders bobbed up and down and his cheeks had begun to hurt from the length of his smile. It was that same laugh that brought a glint of lust to Oliver's luminous, brown eyes.

_Think about it_

_Every time I think about it_

_Can't stop thinkin 'bout it_

_If there's one thing I love about your body more than any other physical feature, it's those eyes, _the Hufflepuff thought to himself as his laughter died out, to be replaced with a gaze of concentration as he stared into the unfathomable depths of his boyfriend's eyes, _They're so deep and dark, yet they're so bright and I can see everything going on inside that fuzzy head of yours._ His next thought escaped his lips, "It's a m...maddening feel...l...ling."

A flicker of curiosity immediately enterred the Gryffindor's eyes as he asked, "What is?"

_How much longer will it take to cure this_

_Just to cure it 'cause I can't ignore it_

_if it's love (love)_

"I'll t...tell you later," the Seeker replied as he leaned forward to kiss Oliver once again. But, just as their lips were about to touch and the fireworks about to spark before his very eyes, the sound of a throat being cleared echoed throughout the staircase, almost sounding like a sick cat coughing up a hairball, followed by a devious, serpentine voice.

"Well, well, well. Mr. Wood, Mr. Diggory."

The romantic moment shattered by the sound of that slick voice, Oliver immediately returned Cedric to his feet and put his hands behind his back, as the Hufflepuff did likewise, the short-lived warmth leaving his face. There, stepping out from the shadows of a hidden corridor, stood a man with pale, sallow skin. His hooked nose and greasy hair were unmistakable, as were his beady, black eyes, as grim and calculating as a shark's. The black robes he wore clung to his personage as though the wizard were a corpse dressed in a tangible shadow. He was none other than Professor Severus Snape, Potions master and Head of Slytherin House.

"Now," Snape began, his hollow voice echoing off the walls as his glare tore through the two students, "It's a Friday afternoon, tomorrow is your trip to Hogsmeade, and there's about a foot and half of snow on the ground. So, what would two boys such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?" A smug smirk began to curve its way across his wretched face.

Cedric, now stuttering from embarassment and nervousness as much as the residual cold, managed to say, "I'm n...not keen on th...the cold, Prof...f...fessor. I g...get chills very eas...s...sily. Oliver was helping...g me to my c...common room."

"Yes, and I'm sure a little romance by firelight was in your plans as well, Mr. Diggory," Snape retorted venomously as his eyes began to fill with a spark of life, though it wasn't exactly natural; like how a spoiled piece of fruit is full of a decayed flavor.

Oliver stepped up to face the Slytherin professor, his voice strong, "With all due respect, _Professor_, our _little romances_ are none of your business."

_Makes me wanna turn around_

_and face me but_

_I don't know nothin' 'bout love._

"_What did you say to me_," Snape began, his voice becoming annoyed and gradually more poisonous, "You are a student! How dare you speak to me that way!? You have no right to address me in that manner, you insolent, little..."

"Excuse me, Severus?"

Another familiar, hoarse voice reverberated in the off the marble steps. That voice, of course, belonging to Professor Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. In the dim torchlight, his greying, brown hair and tired face made him look like a ghost. Dressed in his usual, shabby robes, the professor walked briskly up the stairs once he had spotted Snape, Oliver, and Cedric, each footstep creating a sharp echo that resounded for several seconds afterward. Once he had reached them, he scanned across the faces of the two students, his kind eyes filling them with hope and light, before turning to Professor Snape.

Lupin's hoarse voice was heard once again as he spoke, "What seems to be the problem here, Professor?"

His lip curled in hatred as his eyes filled with that unnatural spark once more, Snape replied, "Ah, Remus. Out for a little walk before _moonrise_, are we?" Eyes gleaming in triumph at the uneasiness that had spilled across Lupin's face, the Slytherin continued, "These two were caught in a rather _compromising_ position while skulking around the corridors."

"We weren't skulking," Oliver cut in heatedly.

"Mr. Wood, please," Lupin said, holding up a silencing hand to the Gryffindor, "From what I've heard, they were on their way to drop Cedric off at the Hufflepuff common room, where he could get some rest before dinner. I, too, can vouch for his distaste with the cold, Professor, as can you." He then turned to the two students and said, with a warm smile on his tired face, "Personally, I suggest that you take Mr. Diggory to Gryffindor Tower, Mr. Wood. The fire that's usually burning there would do him very well, and also considering that the Tower is considerably closer than the Hufflepuff common room."

Professor Snape interrupted, drawing Lupin's attention once more, "That doesn't explain their romancing, Lupin."

The DADA Professor's smile grew wider as he nudged his colleague in the shoulder, "Oh, come now, Severus. You were a teenager once, and I'm sure you had your own little rendezvous or two around the castle."

"Will you be qui," the Slytherin Head began, nearly losing his temper as a vein began to throb in his forehead, but catching himself. His eyes now afire and his face flushed, the Potions Master turned to the two students and spat, "Five points from both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Now, get to Gryffindor Tower and out of my sight!"

_Come on, come on,_

_Turn a little faster_

Not wanting to remain any longer in the presence of the malevolent Snape, Oliver and Cedric made haste up the following several staircases, the latter too afraid to remember that he was still shivering and frozen to the bone. His teeth continued to rattle inside his head as he hiked up his multitude of robes to climb each step.

_Here's hoping he doesn't say anything, _the Hufflepuff thought as he and his boyfriend darted for Gryffindor Tower, _The last thing I need is a rumor starting about how me and Oliver were snogging in front of Professor Snape. With the way word spreads around here, by the end of the day, there'll be an epic about how we were caught having sex on his desk and how we threw a glass bottle into his eyes so we could escape. That'd be rich! _He peered over to look at Oliver and noticed the same, anxious look on his face, _I wonder if he's as nervous as I am? _He didn't have long to ponder the thought though, as they had just arrived at the portrait hole into Gryffindor Tower. There, the clumsy and dimwitted Sir Cadogan, clad in his tarnished armor and standing beside his fat pony, turned to face the two students and roared a battle cry as he drew his abnormally large and heavy sword, which immediately planted into the ground once unsheathed.

Pushing back his visor which had fallen over his eyes due to the the sudden dive of his sword, Sir Cadogan bellowed, "None shall enter without the password! What is it, ye foul knaves!? Answer or fight!"

Looking over to Cedric for a moment with a raised eyebrow, Oliver then turned back to the portrait and replied, "Ornery wench."

"Very well," Sir Cadogan conceded, notably crestfallen as he swung forward to admit the two. However, as they enterred the hole, he shouted once more, "Took the easy way out, eh? Well, come back here and face me like men, ye cowards! I'll rip you limb from limb! I'll bite your bloody legs off! Get back here, you yellow-bellied curs!"

_Come on, come on,_

_The world will follow after_

The mad knight's rantings dying off as the portrait hole closed shut behind them, Oliver and Cedric walked down the dark corridor and into the warm light of the empty Gryffindor common room. A circular room with adornments of red and gold all over the walls and several chairs and couches in front of a happily crackling fire, the colors of the room jumped out at Cedric as if he had stepped into a furnace. However, the warmth of the room had made the cold that remained inside him even more noticeable as he began to shiver once again, his heated skin and icy innards creating a strange and unpleasant feeling.

"I...I'm still fr...freezing, Oliver," the Seeker said as he crossed his arms, attempting to hold on to his body heat. _I can't believe it, _he thought to himself, _A minute ago, I didn't even notice how cold I was, and now it's become unbearable. Damn snow!_

Apparently afraid that his boyfriend's leg would give out again, the Gryffindor moved up to the Hufflepuff and grabbed him underneath the arms, effectively supporting him. Then, in a soft, strained whisper, he muttered, "You need to get into bed before you catch a cold. Well, if you haven't already. Come on, you can use my bed again."

_Come on, come on,_

_'Cause everybody's after love._

_He's so handsome when he's concerned, _Cedric couldn't help but think as he gazed at Oliver's face, his usually warm, inviting eyes now filled with worry as he handled the Seeker with extreme care, his calloused hands moving surprisingly softly as they strengthened under his arms. Then, heading up the circular, stone staircase leading to the boys dormitories, the fifth-year made a mental note to _reward_ his lover after he had warmed up.

----------

_He's usually never this hard to support, _Oliver thought to himself as he, with Cedric's arm and full weight on his right shoulder, stumbled into his dormitory and up to his own four-poster bed on the far side of the dimly lit, empty room, _Well, then again, he doesn't usually wear all these layers of clothes._ Finally lurching over to the side of his bed and pulling back the heavy, scarlet curtains, the Gryffindor sat the Hufflepuff prefect on the bed and put his warm, rough hand against Cedric's forehead, clearing away his tangle of light brown hair and looking at his pink, flushed skin. His eyes, normally with a lively glow against the grey, now seemed to flicker as bags formed under them, tainting his perfect, fair complexion with a tired darkness. Those full, pink lips were now pale and near blue as they quaked, moved by the chattering teeth hidden just behind them.

"Merlin's beard," the Keeper exclaimed as he drew back his hand, his brow furrowed with concern, "You still haven't warmed up enough, and you look horrible!"

A small grin appeared on the Seeker's visage as a small squeak of a laugh escaped him, "Th...thanks for the c...complim...ment. You look...k great, t...too." The glint in his eye returned to full strength for a moment before becoming a dim flicker once again.

"I'm going to help you get undressed," Oliver finally said, his own face now a bright shade of red as he blushed from the myriad of suggestive thoughts that streaked by his mind.

_So I said I'm a snowball runnin'_

_Runnin' down into the spring_

_That's comin' all this love_

Pushing those wishes to the back of his brain and willing his body to relax, he bent down on his knees and easily tugged off Cedric's right shoe, followed by the left one, allowing them to fall to the floor with a dull _thunk_. Laughing at the several layers of socks that young Diggory had on, especially the topmost layer that was striped with his House colors, he looked up to see the Hufflepuff shrug off his first three layers of robes, followed by the shedding of two yellow, badger-emblazoned sweaters, leaving him only in his Hogwarts uniform (minus his black robe): black trousers, grey pullover, white shirt, and a Hufflepuff yellow and black tie. Oliver slowly stood up, his knees straightening as he bent forward and grabbed the grey pullover before bringing it up over his boyfriend's head.

"I can und...dress myself, y...you know," Cedric stuttered, his voice slightly muffled as the grey sweater moved over his mouth and off his head, only to join his other sweaters and robes on the ground. Then, just as he felt the Gryffindor undo his tie and begin to unbutton his shirt, he added, "B...but I see you're r...rath...ther enjoying y...yours...self."

Not even bothering to look Cedric in his eyes, Oliver replied in a serious tone, "I'm much more concerned with getting you warm than I am with getting you naked." He then found himself drawn to those grey eyes, which were now glowing with a bit more radiance, "And the last thing you need is to miss a day in Hogsmeade with your charming, delightful, talented, and pleasantly attractive boyfriend, isn't that right?"

"Don't f...forget ex..xtremely hum...ble. W...wouldn't...t want to forget th...that, would w...we, Oliver," the Hufflepuff quipped as the Gryffindor finished unbuttoning his shirt and removed it.

Oliver laughed as he saw the longjohns that Cedric wore underneath his attire, "Well, you're not as thick as I thought you were. Standing near a window, freezing your arse off, but at least you wear the appropriate underwear! Now, if only you had a bit_ more _common sense!"

_Meltin' under blue skies_

_Beltin' out sunlight_

_shimmerin' love_

Cedric sighed, "Y...you sound like my m...mum." His eyes now wandered to Oliver's hands, which were busy undoing his belt and the top button of his pants.

"Better your mum than mine," the Gryffindor scoffed, "Believe me." Once he had finished with the belt and the pants, he had bent down, grabbed the legs, and, with a great tug, yanked off his last article of outerwear. Now, in front of him, clad in body-length thermal underwear, stood Cedric Diggory. His face was still a very light pink, his lips still a very light blue and shivering from his chattering teeth, the bags under his eyes now making him look very similar to Professor Lupin after he had fallen sick... _His eyes, though, _Oliver thought, _they're back to normal!_ Indeed, Cedric's grey eyes had returned to their full luminosity, and they were as bright and awe-struck as a child's as they looked up at the Keeper, and, if it was even possible, became even more luminous. After a moment, Oliver, rousing himself from his stupor, said, "Now, you need to get some sleep before dinner. You have about an hour and a half." With that, he turned and prepared to leave the dormitory.

That shivering, voice spoke up, "Where a...are y...you going, Oliv...ver?"

"I have a big test for McGonagall tomorrow," Oliver replied, not even turning as his hand grasped the handle to the door, "Then, I have an essay to do for Snape, homework from Sprout and Lupin, and I have to get my team together to go over plans for our match against Ravenclaw after holiday." He was counting off the things he needed to do, raising a finger for each objective.

"Th...that can wait, c...can it," Cedric's voice asked.

The Gryffindor stopped short, his hand grasping the doorknob as he turned to face the Hufflepuff. There he was, still sitting in the same place, his legs dangling over the edge of the bed, his head turned to face Oliver, who looked at that perfect face with an unwavering gaze. His face, bathed in the grey light from the snowy window, looked back at him with an expression that almost seemed like pleading. _He wants me to stay, _the Keeper thought to himself, unable to break his eye contact with that ghostly, pale face, now appearing to be completely devoid of color.

After a moment, the Hufflepuff spoke again, but with perfect clarity, "Stay with me."

A smile appeared on Oliver's face as he said, "A _prefect_ telling me that work can wait?"

"It's b...been known to hap...p...pen," the Seeker replied, a smile spreading across his face that mirrored the Gryffindor's, "And I'm sure y...you can th...think of...f a few w...ways to warm m...me up."

_Well baby I surrender_

_To the strawberry ice cream_

_Never ever end of all this love_

A thrill rushed through Oliver's system as he let go of the door handle and started walking slowly towards his bed, never breaking his eye contact with Cedric as his grin became more devilish. A torrent of suggestive thoughts ran by his mind, finally wresting control and flooding through the Keeper's consciousness, as he simply muttered, "Perhaps." That warm feeling pooled in his stomach once again as he moved closer and closer to the red-curtained bed, his mind racing, _He's leading me on now. Oh, I can get used to this!_ Unable to hide the smile on his face, he walked around the bed, running his fingers along the velvet-like fabric of the curtains and knowing that its soft touch is nothing compared to Cedric's, moving even closer to those glistening, grey orbs. _He's all mine, _the Keeper thought, as he leaned in and softly pushed the Seeker onto his back before climbing on top of him, their eyes never wandering.

"I feel a bit w...warmer already," the Hufflepuff whispered, his lips shivering slightly less and his face tinted as much from exhilaration as from the residual cold, as a tent appeared to rise in his longjohns that moved inch by inch towards Oliver's own trouser-imprisoned length.

Oliver, his arms bracing against the bed on either side of Cedric's head, lowered his face closer and closer to the prefect's, the sudden smell of spicy cinnamon and cold air now flooding through his nostrils and into his blood, as if his entire body was now coursing with the Hufflepuff's essence. He gasped slightly when he felt Cedric's chilling touch on the back of his neck, drawing him in even closer and feeling the minimal warmth that emanated from the near-naked body. A erratic breath, shivering from cold as well as nervousness, washed over his lips as they moved nearer to each other.

_Well I didn't mean to do it_

_But there's no escapin' your love_

The Gryffindor watched as the Hufflepuff's eyes closed, falling into the moment, and slowly inched forward to meet him. One moment, there was Cedric's face. The next, there were his two almond-shaped eyes covered by a veil of flesh. That final moment before their lips touched, Oliver could see each individual hair on his boyfriend's fine eyebrow before he, too, closed his eyes...

"Scree, scree," a screech broke through the silence, coupled with a scratching sound that roused Oliver from his reverie.

_What the hell is it now, _he thought angrily as he opened his eyes and looked towards the window, hoping to find what the sound had come from. There, right outside in the driving snow, was a little elf owl, its brown and grey feathers coated in white snow and its golden eyes flashing as it nipped at the glass. Sighing, the Gryffindor pushed himself off of Cedric so that he straddled the Hufflepuff's stomach, pulled his wand from his pocket, and lazily flicked it at the window, muttering, "_Aperio."_ Immediately, as the hinges squeaked on the windowpane, the large glass swung outward, prompting the little bird to fly back a little bit to avoid being knocked senseless. After a moment though, as snow began to fall into the room, the owl flew in and straight up to the bed, perching on Oliver's desk chair. Flicking at the window once more with a command of, "_Claudo,_" the window slammed shut once again, and he took notice of an envelope tied to the bird's talon.

_These lines of lightning_

_Mean we're never alone_

_Never alone, no, no_

Cedric, who gently pushed Oliver off and to his side, sat up and looked on as the Gryffindor untied the letter, asking, "What's that?"

The black letters on the envelope read, "_Cedric Diggory. Hufflepuff. Hogwarts School."_

"It's for you," Oliver said, handing the mail to his boyfriend with a curious expression on his face, "What do you think it is?"

"Well, we'll f...find out, won't w...we," he replied, a playful smile on his face as he tore open the side of the envelope and pulled out a small piece of parchment. Slowly, his eyes scanned through the letter, the grin slowly leaving his face and turning into a glum, crestfallen frown.

_Apparently it's not good news, _Oliver thought as he continued to watch Cedric's depressed frown deepen, _Not good at all. _Once it had appeared that he had finished reading, Oliver asked, "Is everything okay?"

Silently handing the letter to the Gryffindor, Cedric didn't even bother looking him in the eye as he just glanced down at the paper with a look that commanded, "Read now."

Oliver thought it better to comply as he read the little note aloud:

_"Dear Ced,_

_I hope everything is going well for you at school. OWLs should be coming up later this year and I want to know that you're studying hard, because if you're not, you know __that your father won't be pleased. We heard that Hufflepuff defeated Gryffindor in the first match of this year; wonderful job, son! And against Harry Potter, too, well I guess __you showed that amateur what real competition is like, eh? Now, if you just put as much dedication into your schoolwork as you put into Quidditch, then you would be at the __top of your class, no doubt! But, what do I know? I'm just your mother!_

_Anyway, that's not what I wanted to tell you. It seems that you'll have to remain at Hogwarts for this Christmas, since your father and I are going to Rome for winter holiday. __I hear that the ancient temples are absolutely fascinating, and the spells that were created there... Well, we won't just be sight-seeing. Your father has got some Ministry __business to take care of, but, shhhhh, I'm not supposed to talk about that. I'm really sorry about this, honey, I really am. We would come and take you along, but we're __leaving before your term ends and I bet you want to spend time with your friends anyway. Besides, the castle is almost empty during the holidays, so think of all the work __you'll be able to get done: you'll be able to bring up your Transfiguration grade and work on Quidditch plays. Isn't that great?_

_We'll pick you up a souvenir or two while we're in Rome. We love you, honey!_

_Love, Mum_

_P.S. One more thing, the bird bites._

Ouch, you little bugger!" The owl, which had hopped onto Oliver's shoulder, nipped him hard on the ear, causing him to swat it back to the chair. He turned back around to see Cedric just sitting there, staring off into space with a glum look written all over his face.

"It's not fair," he muttered furiously, "This is the third time since I came to Hogwarts that I've been left here for Christmas while my parents go gallivanting across Europe. My second year, it was Spain. Last year, it was France. This year, it's Italy. I've only spent Christmas with them for my first and third year, and I'm sick of it! It's not fair!" All trace of the shiver was gone from his voice as he punched the bed, his face turning red from anger.

After a few seconds of strained silence, Oliver asked quietly, "Do you want me to stay here with you for Christmas? I'm sure my parents will understand."

Cedric looked up at him, his eyes now grey and watery like a nighttime swamp, and replied, "No, your family wants you to spend Christmas with them. You shouldn't stay here on my account."

More silence passed between them as the Gryffindor thought, _What can I do to make sure he has a happy Christmas? C'mon, Ol, think! Let's see, he wants to spend it with his family, but they're going to be in Italy for the whole of the holiday, so he can't go with them... Wait a minute! I've got it!_ Springing from his bed to his desk, he grabbed a quill, a bottle of ink, and a piece of parchment from his drawer and placed them on the desktop.

"What are you doing, Oliver," the Hufflepuff asked, curious as to what his paramour was writing so wildly about, "Look, if you're going to write to my parents about this, don't worry about it. You don't have to--"

"_Love, Oliver,_" he muttered as he finished writing on the parchment and, cramming it into an envelope, tied it to the elf owl's tiny leg, moving back just as the bird made a move to bite his hand. Grabbing his wand once more and pointing it at the window, the hinges squeaked again and the cold air flooded into the room, creating that familiar chill. Once more unfurling its small wings, the owl fluttered into the air and back outside, leaving the two alone once more.

Watching as his sly boyfriend magicked the window closed, Cedric asked, his face bewildered, "What was all that about?"

_Come on, come on,_

_Move a little closer_

Oliver decided to answer by forcing his lips against the fifth-year's, evoking a surprised moan from the younger student, who immediately settled into the moment. The cold of Cedric's lips seemed to die down as the seconds passed, as did the chill in his skin as Oliver grabbed the bottom of the warm undershirt and brought it up over the Hufflepuff's head, breaking the kiss for a moment before continuing once again, running his large hands through the tufts of ruffled, sandy brown hair. Feeling Cedric's wandering hands undo his Gryffindor tie and the buttons on his shirt, the Keeper climbed on top of Cedric once again, running his left hand along the muscles of the Seeker's arms, strengthened through years of Quidditch. Before long, the icy air bombarded Oliver's naked back as his shirt and tie were cast off to join the myriad of clothing on the floor. He jumped slightly as Cedric's cold hands touched the rippling muscles on his back, tracing along them with his fingernails and sending a pleasurable shiver down the Gryffindor's spine as he gasped. His pants had suddenly become very tight again, well, in his crotch at least, as he rubbed his growing member against the fabric between his and Cedric's own, lengthening erection. Breaking his embrace and slowly moving down the Hufflepuff's fair-skinned body, Oliver nipped and kissed at Cedric's exposed flesh, inwardly laughing at the gasps and groans he received as he felt Diggory's supple fingers run through his chestnut hair.

"Lower, Oliver," Cedric moaned before biting his lower lip and running through the Gryffindor's hair more feverishly.

_Come on, come on,_

_I wanna hear you whisper_

Complying with his wish, Oliver moved across the Hufflepuff's chest, dotting each inch of skin with a tender kiss as he slowly moved to the right, towards Cedric's small, pink nipple. He locked eyes with the Seeker for one, short moment before taking the small, cold nub into his mouth, revelling as he watched Cedric's head fall back onto the bed, a forceful moan filling the room. Oliver could feel as the icy flesh begin to warm up once he sucked at it, growing even more audacious as he ran his tongue over the nipple, swirling his tongue along the flesh and laughing at how the Hufflepuff dug one hand into the bed, clutching at the covers with his child-like fingers. The moans continued to ring in the Gryffindor's ears as he finally desisted, bringing his mouth off of Cedric's sweet flesh and allowing a small string of saliva to linger between them. He glanced up and locked eyes once again with the Seeker's, his almond-shaped, grey eyes so full of a lustful light as he bit his bottom lip. Oliver returned to his work, planting one more kiss on the nipple before heading even lower, tracing his tongue along the curves of each muscle and his large, calloused hands squeezing between Cedric's back and the bed, slowly moving down towards the Hufflepuff's firm bum.

"Wow. Oh, Oliver," the Seeker muttered as he jumped, Oliver's hands firmly grasping his backside and his tongue moving ever lower. Then, as the Gryffindor nipped Cedric just above his navel, the fifth-year yelped, "Ouch! Watch how hard you bite, Wood!"

Oliver merely looked up and, with a smile spreading across his face, replied in an unconvincingly innocent voice, "Oops, sorry."

He then went back to ravishing every inch of Cedric's torso, circling around the Hufflepuff's navel with sweet kisses before plunging his tongue into the hole, evoking yet another moan from his starstruck paramour. Slowly, he flicked his tongue in and out, accelerating to match Cedric's erratic breathing as the boy squirmed with ecstasy, his clothed member now rubbing roughly against Oliver's collarbone. _Well, I guess that he's just as ready as I am_, Oliver thought as he felt the soft material rub roughly against his clavicle, a smile widening on his face as he ceased teasing the Hufflepuff and slowly began to kiss below his navel. Lower and lower the Gryffindor went as he felt the light, fine hairs of his boyfriend's treasure trail skim softly against his warm lips, sending powerful shivers down his spine as each individual hair grazed his skin. Within moments, Oliver's chin caught the waistband of Cedric's longjohns, drawing them down slightly as he looked back up into those warm, grey eyes, now pulsating with passion. With one final thought, the Keeper mused, _Get ready for the time of your life, Diggory_, as he took the waistband between his teeth and slowly began to pull down.

_Come on, come on,_

_Settle down inside my love_

----------

"No," Cedric muttered softly as he felt the cold air of the room slowly engulf his privates, "Oliver... please, stop."

Immediately, Oliver's head popped up, asking, "What is it?"

Sitting up and pulling his underpants up a bit, he replied, "I'm sorry, Ol. I'm just not ready for this, not yet." His eyes were beginning to water now as his mind raced, _He's going to be so angry at me now. I can hear it already, "What do you mean you're not ready!? You weren't telling me to stop when I was kissing you or when I was sucking at your chest! Why stop now!? You know what? Forget it! Just get--_ He couldn't bear to finish the thought as he wriggled from Oliver's grasp and immediately began to collect his strewn clothes from the floor, muttering in a squeaking voice, "I'm sorry, Oliver. I just... Forget it, I'll leave... I'm sorry I led you..." Continuing on as he streaked around the room, picking up articles of clothing and apologizing, a distant voice sounded in his head, intermingling with his thoughts.

"Ced, listen..."

_I can't believe I couldn't go through with it! Stupid, Ced, stupid!_

"Stop for a second. Let's talk about this..."

_I love him, I really do! But I'm just... I don't know! What's holding me back!? Who cares now... He probably doesn't want to see me..._

"Cedric!"

That one, forceful bellow rang through his head, drowning out every thought circling inside as a firm, heated hand closed around his naked forearm. He froze as a pulsating shiver ran throughout his body, his back still faced to the Gryffindor and a pile of clothes in his other hand.

After a moment, he turned, his face pale and empty, and whimpered, "I'll understand if you don't want to see me anymore. I led you on and I'm sorry. Now, if you'll excuse me..." With that, he turned and attempted to walk off once more, only to be held in place by the Keeper's vice-like grip.

_Come on, come on,_

_Jump a little higher_

"What's wrong, Cedric," Oliver asked, his voice smooth and caring as he spoke, his sultry brogue rolling off his tongue. Met with silence, he continued, "Do you honestly believe that I don't want to see you again just because you don't want sex? Come on, Ced, you know me better than that." Cedric turned and locked his glistening grey eyes with Oliver's deep, brown ones, a new warmth rushing through his entire body as he listened to the Gryffindor's voice, as sweet and slick as honey, "If you don't want to do it yet, that's fine by me. I can wait. Besides, when I get the reply owl in a few days, you'll be in for a great surprise. Believe me." A smile curved across his cherubic face, that boyish, toothy smile that drove the Seeker absolutely insane.

The Hufflepuff couldn't help but mimic that same smile as he said weakly, his voice cracking, "Really?"

"Well, now," Oliver spoke, his usual swagger now reentering his voice, "we _do _have about an hour before dinner. Why don't we catch some sleep? Unless, of course, you _want_ to leave."

Pausing as he stood there, his forearm still clutched by the Gryffindor, Cedric dropped the clothes in his opposite hand before replying, "I don't think I'd mind staying here a bit longer." A teasing expression on his face, now its fair complexion once again, the Seeker, followed close behind by the Keeper, ran back to the large four-poster bed, trampling over the robes and socks dotted along the carpeted floor.

Just before Cedric sat down, Oliver, pulling him in close so that their naked chests were pushed together, whispered, "I'd like that."

_Come on, come on,_

_If you feel a little lighter_

"I bet you would," the Hufflepuff replied in his cutest matter-of-fact voice, before laughing devilishly and kissing his boyfriend, the grand explosions of red and gold shimmering before his eyes once again as they fell backward onto the bed, Lion on top of Badger. Their hands traveling once more, Oliver's large, rough hands fastened themselves around the Hufflepuff's waist, while Cedric's soft, smooth arms wrapped themselves behind the Gryffindor's neck, teasing the seventh-year's supple skin with his short, skimming fingernails. He broke the kiss for a moment, saying, "Wait a moment."

"What is it," Oliver asked, his brow furrowed with worry once more, "Are you all right?"

_Come on, come on,_

_We were once upon a time in love_

Reaching his hand into the Gryffindor's trouser pocket, Cedric extracted the elder student's wand, twirling it between his fingers as he replied, "Maybe just a little privacy in case Percy decides to make an impromptu appearance." He allowed himself to laugh once more as he waved Oliver's wand at the curtains of the bed, muttering, "_Claudo."_ On command, the ruby red blind moved all around the bed, allowing only the sounds of their giggling and kissing to escape before one, final command sounded quietly, "_Silencio."_

The only sound in the seventh-year dormitory now was the howling of the wind outside and the pitter-patter of the snowflakes as they gently struck the fogging windows.

_We're accidentally in love_

----------

There really was nothing like the village of Hogsmeade in winter, nothing at all. The cobblestone streets, enchanted with heat to resist icing over, forced snowflakes to melt once they grounded, coating each individual stone with a sleek shine that reflected the light grey sky above. Honeydukes sweet shop, its wood and glass doors always open and streaming a golden light onto the street, seemed to exude the tantalizing combination of melted chocolate, spicy cinnamon, and sweet fruit, which mingled with the cheery smell of evergreens and evoking the joyous images of Christmastime as the glorious scent reached the noses of many an eager Hogwarts student. Zonko's joke shop, proprietor of the dungbombs, Fanged Frisbees, and Biting Teacups that the students enjoyed so well, shone with a similar golden light as the doors continuously opened and closed, revealing the several, suspicious-looking consumers (mainly Fred and George Weasley) who indulged in their fine products; it's red sign, the silver letters gleaming in the luminous snow, swayed back and forth with the gentle breeze. The Three Broomsticks pub, owned by the beautiful Madam Rosmerta who had dressed for the yuletide season, shone with a joviality as people would walk in, shivering and their faces forlorn, and would come out soon after, genuinely laughing and in high spirits, trickles of butterbeer or mead running down their mouths. Everywhere in the small town, be it Dervish and Banges, the post office, or even the Shrieking Shack, a large hovel on the outskirts of town, the atmosphere had become so welcoming as the full-wizarding community became blanketed with snow and holiday cheer.

Oliver, dressed in a knit, gold sweater emblazoned with a red Quaffle, his Gryffindor scarf, red mittens, and faded, blue jeans, stood in a small expanse of snow across from Madam Puddifoot's tea shop, shaking his head to get rid of the snow that had collected on top of his head. Feeling the unpleasant tingle of cold as a small portion melted and ran down his back, the Gryffindor shivered lightly and continued to watch as countless Hogwarts students chattered and trudged on the cobblestone street.

_He told me last night to meet him across from the tea shop, _the Keeper thought, a hint of impatience seeping into his thoughts, _Now, I'm here, and where is he? Nowhere to be found! I swear, when I get my hands on him... Oh, when I get my hands on him, he's going to have the time of his life! _His inward laughter was cut short as a cold projectile slammed into the left side of his head, causing him to stagger. Turning around to face his attacker, Oliver came face to face with Fred and George Weasley, who were grinning wickedly as they held more snowballs in their mittened hands. He moaned, "Oh, no."

"Hello there, Oliver," they spoke in perfect unison, their calculating, blue-eyed glares never leaving the burly Scot as they tossed the snowballs up in the air and caught them again, "Care for a little fun?"

The Keeper replied, his hands itching to grab some snow and return fire, "Nah, I'm meeting someone here."

Identical grins working across their faces, the two redheads appeared even more impish as Fred said, "Wrong answer, dear Captain."

What followed could only be described as havoc. As quick as a flash, the two Weasleys hurled their projectiles at Oliver, and just as the white missiles rocketed towards his face, he quickly ducked and gathered a quantity of snow in his own, gloved hands. Rising to his feet once more, the Keeper chucked his own snowball at the two Beaters, grimacing as the icy ball flew right between them, much to their amusement. While he attempted to duck, roll, or do anything to get out of the line of fire, the Weasley twins, their eyes glimmering with a wicked light, fanned out and continuously pelted their dear Captain with snow. This continued for several minutes, the three Gryffindors becoming red in the face as they panted with exhaustion and cold, yet never giving up the fight, until finally, when Oliver had pegged George between the eyes, expectant smiles spread across the twins' faces.

_Accidentally in love_

_Accidentally in love_

The two redheads shouted simultaneously as they gazed at something behind the seventh-year, "Now!"

Nothing could prepare Oliver for the blatantly unpleasant sensation that he felt the following instant, his collar had gone tight around his throat as someone grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled, which preceded a pile of snow being shoved down his naked back. Immediately, the elder Gryffindor seized, his entire body becoming rigid as the snow on his back melted and absorbed into his shirt and pants, causing his clothing to become horribly wet and cold. For a moment, his mind was completely blank, not knowing who had perpetrated such a vile act.

Then, as the twins were doubling over in laughter, a gasp escaped George, "Nice one, Diggory!"

_Accidentally in love_

_Accidentally in love_

_Diggory, _Oliver thought, stunned once more, _Ced did this? _He turned slowly on his heels, his boots scraping the packed snow underfoot, as he came face to face with that exact person. Cedric Diggory, his sand-colored hair ruffled and hanging over his tearing eyes, his usually white face flushed pink as he laughed uncontrollably, was hunched over in front of his boyfriend, holding his stomach as hysterical tears began to roll down his face, streaking his jubilant smile. This laugh, however, wasn't the same painful, squeaking laugh that escaped him when his body was buffeted with cold; this laugh was his usual, hearty chortle of joy which forced his smile so wide that it appeared his eyes had closed. This was a true Cedric Diggory laugh.

_Accidentally in love_

_Accidentally in love_

"Oh my goodness! That was wicked! I got you, Oliver, I bloody got you," Cedric guffawed in between his bouts of simple chuckling and insane laughter, "I can't believe it! Awesome!"

_Well, two can play that, Mr. Prefect, _the Gryffindor thought as he moved even closer to the unsuspecting Hufflepuff, _and I intend to win! _He stopped when he was mere inches from his paramour, and waited until those grey eyes looked up, before saying, "Oh, aye, you think that's funny?"

His laughter dying to only occassional titters and giggles, Cedric stood up, his gaze uncertain as he spoke, "Um, Oliver? You know it was only a..." He never finished the sentence as he was suddenly tackled to the ground by his beefy man. Within an instant of falling into the snow, Oliver had straddled himself over Cedric's torso, pinning the young prefect's wrists to the ground with his own and bending down to trace his lips and tongue along the Hufflepuff's smooth, pale neck before lightly sinking his teeth into the milky flesh. Cedric gasped in a combination of pain and pleasure, causing the Gryffindor to pop his head back up, a devilish smile on his face as his boyfriend's voice passed by his ears, "Well, that was rather unexpected."

_Accidentally in love_

_Accidentally_

Oliver just stared into Cedric's luminous, grey eyes as he mused, _You're such a cheeky bugger but, _followed by his voice, "I love you anyway." With that, he bent down once again and locked lips with his love, ravishing the undescribable taste of Cedric Diggory as it filled his now-blank mind, only occupied with pleasure and love. Opening his mouth further to deepen the moment, Oliver's tongue reached out and explored every crack of Cedric's chapped lips before finally feeling the prefect open up his mouth, his own tongue snaking out to tangle with the Gryffindor's. As the sensitive organs touched, an endearing shiver ran down the Keeper's spine as he let go of the Seeker's wrists, instead bringing his arms around Cedric's neck and snuggling even closer to him, falling into a warmth and proximity-fueled euphoria. Then, replacing the chilling feeling as a myriad of snowflakes melted against his heated skin, Oliver felt Cedric's warm touch as he ran his gloved index finger, with tender softness, down the nape of his neck and under his sweater. His gasp lost in the kiss, the Gryffindor closed his eyes and focused all his attention on his perfect moment.

He didn't even notice as Fred said to George with mock tears, "Isn't that just sweet? Our charming captain is all grown up... Sob..."

George replied, his voice just as misty, "I know. I'm getting a bit choked up meself... Sigh..."

The two then looked at each other before merely saying, "Nah," and trudging off, laughing as they muttered, "Our work here is done."

As the twins' footsteps grew more distant, Oliver broke the kiss, opening his eyes and immediately falling Cedric's warm, grey ones, before noticing, "You're not shivering."

_I'm in love, I'm in love_

"Well, O'Flaherty told me about a really helpful Warming Charm last night," the Hufflepuff replied in his cutest matter-of-fact voice, "And now I feel so... toasty. Now, kiss me again." Grabbing a handful of the Gryffindor's collar, Cedric swiftly pulled him in for another kiss, but found his love's warm, rough fingers softly pressed against his lips.

In a teasing voice that mimicked Cedric's, Oliver said, "Am I that foolish? Kissing the boy who just shoved snow down my shirt? No, I think I'll just get up and leave, so if you'll excuse me..." Bracing his arms on either side of Cedric's head and preparing to push himself up, a thrill of surprise rushed through him when the grip on his collar remained unbroken.

The Seeker's silver eyes flashed as he grinned deviously, "Well, I think I know a way to keep you down here."

"Oh," the seventh-year replied, cocking a thick, brown eyebrow, "And what would that be, Ced?"

His face screwed up in mock concentration, he began to explain, "Well, after I told Fred and George that you and I were together and we planned this little ambush, they told me of a little song they sing after matches. Apparently, it turns you the nicest shade of burgundy. Let's see if I can remember the lyrics..." Enjoying the look of shock on Oliver's face, he began to sing in a quiet voice, "_A Scotsman clad in kilt left the bar one evening fair, and one could tell by...mmphff_." Immediately, his singing was cut short by the whole of the Gryffindor's hand clamping over his mouth.

"I'm going to kill those two," he said under his breath as a smile broke across his reddening face, "but you have my undivided attention, Mr. Diggory. And you have a wonderful voice, too, I might add."

_I'm in love, I'm in love_

"Why thank you, Mr. Wood," Cedric spoke softly, a chuckle enterring his voice for a moment before becoming serious once more, "Kiss me. Please."

Lowering his face once more, another jolt ran down Oliver's spine as he watched the Hufflepuff's face, framed by the white ground he was pinned to, move closer and closer to his own. Closing his eyes, the last things he saw before feeling those wet lips were two, grey orbs peeking out from under a curtain of light hair. There was little, if any, force in this kiss; their lips connected, their mouths opened, yet instead of their tongues battling each other for dominance, they gently massaged each other, creating infinitely more tingles than any previous kiss. He could hear a brief rustling sound, followed by Cedric's naked hand running over his forehead and through his chestnut-colored hair, while the other now-uncovered hand tugged off Oliver's right mitten and clutched his own rough, fingers. Warmth travelling between the two young students, the countless moans and gasps that escaped them were lost in each other, fueling their desires even more.

_I'm in love, I'm in love_

_Please, don't let this moment end, _Oliver mentally begged as he ran his left, mittened hand down Cedric's robed body, _Please, don't ever let this moment end..._

----------

Later that night, as the four Houses of Hogwarts sat down for dinner, Cedric merely looked around the Great Hall, still in awe of this room even after four full years. All around him, mountains of food had materialized on the golden trays in front of the students, full of entrees including roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason he had never been able to fathom, peppermint humbugs, among many other mouth-watering dishes. Drawing his eyes from the succulent dinner, the young Hufflepuff looked at the floating candles and the enchanted ceiling, which appeared as a great, cloudy, black sky. Apparently, night had fallen, but white specks of snow continued to rain down from the heavens into the majesty of the Hall, magically vanishing before they reached the heads of the students. With the contented murmurs and clattering silverware drawing him into a stupefied trance, he locked his gaze on one individual snowflake, incessantly staring at it until it flew straight over his head and disappeared over one of his Chasers, Malcolm Preece.

His auburn hair matching his cocked eyebrow, Malcolm asked curiously, "Er, you all right, Captain?"

Snapping back to reality, Cedric replied, his face flushing with some embarassment, "Oh, yeah. I'm... I'm fine," before grabbing his fork and stabbing into several slices of meatloaf.

"You sure," Malcolm asked again, his hazel eyes bright with concern, "You haven't exactly been acting like yourself lately."

The prefect merely looked back at him and smiled, "Really? How so?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure how to put it," the Chaser began, clearing his throat and searching for the right words, "You've just been... really laid-back over the past few weeks. Usually, you work the team to the bone, but ever since our match with Gryffindor, you've looked like you've been on cloud nine. I mean, yeah, we won and that was great, but when we lost to Slytherin, it didn't stop there. I mean, I'm all for seeing you happy, mate, but it's just... strange. What happened?"

Taking a bite of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, the Seeker nodded and asked, "Understandable. Tell me, Preece, what year are you?"

"This is my third year, Captain," he answered.

"First thing, call me 'Ced' or 'Diggory,' not 'Captain.' Second thing," Cedric said after swallowing his food, "Have you ever been in love?"

The third-year's face immediately went beet red at being asked the question, as he timidly responded, "Well, not really, no. There are girls I fancy, yeah, but I wouldn't exactly call it _love._"

Smiling as he pushed his hair out of his eyes, the fifth-year spoke to Malcolm, who appeared to be hanging on his every word, "It's a wonderful feeling, Malcolm, let me tell you that. It started after the Gryffindor match, and everything went uphill from there. Even the loss to Slytherin couldn't bring me down because I felt like I could take anything in the world as long as I had love. It's like feeling weaker and stronger at the same time. Know what I mean?"

"Not in the least," Preece replied, his face turning even redder as he apologized, "Sorry."

_Accidentally_

"You will," Cedric warmly said, patting his teammate on the back before returning to his food, and finding a paper airplane lodged in his corn. He cursed silently before picking up the paper and unfolding it, finding Oliver's scrawl written at the top of the page, followed by slightly neater handwriting. It read:

"**Read this NOW!!! You'll be thankful you did!**

_Dear Olliekins, _**(Shut up and don't say a word)**

_I just received your letter and I have no problem with having Cedric here for Christmas. The more the merrier, I say! I felt so sorry for him when you wrote that his __parents were going away for the holidays and not taking him with them. Christmas is one time out of the whole year when families should be together, and to just leave __their son at school to go over Quidditch plays or Transfiguration homework while they cavort around Rome, well it's... I'll hold my tongue, the last thing I need is Amos __Diggory as an enemy. But, like I said, we would love it if you brought him here where he could have a family to spend the holiday. Granted, it's not his family, but it's __definitely better than an empty dormitory and common room._

_Oh yes, and William is coming home for Christmas as well, isn't that exciting? He's been so busy in Ireland and we actually thought that he was going to skip this __like he did last year, but we just got an owl from him a few days ago and he said he was going to drop by with Lydia. To think, they're going to be married soon, and __my little Ollie as the best man. You two boys grew up so fast. Too fast. Stop it! Be my little boy again!_

_Well, I'll let you go. I'm sure you and your Gryffindor teammates have plenty of plays to sort out for your match against Ravenclaw next term and you need to get in __a lot of practice before holiday, and all that rubbish. Oh, did you see Dad and I at the Hufflepuff match? Really scary thing that happened to that Potter boy, but we __can't wait to see you spring back and win the Quidditch Cup. After all, Dad's probably the only person I know who's more obsessed with that sport than you are. Anyway, __we'll see you on December 23 at Platform 9 3/4! I love you, honey!_

_Hugs and kisses, Mummy_

**I told you you'd be in for a surprise, Ced! And if you tell anyone about what my mom**

**wrote in here, I'll murder you in your sleep. Okay?**"

Cedric could not believe his eyes as he skimmed through the letter another three, full times, his mind racing with ecstatic thoughts, _I'm going to Oliver's for Christmas? My boyfriend has actually invited me to his house for the holiday!? I can't believe it! I'll bet his parents are so great, too! I'll get to meet the rest of the Wood family and it's going to be so great and awesome and wonderful and ahhhh! _He couldn't keep his excitement inside as he stood up from his bench and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Yes! Ha ha! Yes!" Realizing soon what he had just done, he looked around at everyone in the now-silent Hall, every eye fixed on his reddening face as he resumed his seat, taking a glance at Oliver, who was straining to hide his laughter as he sat at the Gryffindor table. Once the usual talk and chatter of the students resumed, Cedric caught his boyfriend's gaze once again and mouthed, "Meet me outside after dinner."

_Accidentally_

Malcolm Preece, who hadn't taken his eyes off of his Captain, weakly asked, "What the hell was that about?"

"Love, Malcolm," the Seeker responded as he shoved the letter into his trouser pocket, a very wide grin on his boyish face, "Love." He then stabbed at the meatloaf on his plate and continued eating as a warm feeling arose in his stomach, giving him the feeling of complete and utter satisfaction.

----------

"What's up with that Diggory kid, huh?"

"Yeah, that was weird, that was. Shouting in the middle of the Great Hall?"

"I wonder what he was so happy about."

Standing outside the magnificent doors that led into the Great Hall, Oliver couldn't help but think as he heard the students passing by, _I know why Ced's so happy, 'cause I'm happy for the exact, same reason! He's coming to my house for Christmas! He won't be lonely, I won't be lonely, and we'll have each other. It's so great and awesome and wonderful and ahhhh! _He had suddenly fallen into a daze as visions of Christmas with Cedric rushed through his head, _the big tree with all those ornaments, the fireplace with all our stockings, my twelve year-old one with a Keeper and Quaffle sewn into it, loads of eggnog from Uncle Tom and Aunt Lyn, cookies from me mum and Aunt Sharon, stories from Grandpa that make me dad turn completely red, and, right there beside me, smiling and laughing along with everything, my Ced. It's like a dream come true._ He was soon roused from his day-dream however as Cedric pounced on top of him, locking his legs around Oliver's back and clutching to his neck, squealing with joy.

_Come on, come on,_

_Spin a little tighter_

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you," the Hufflepuff exclaimed as he planted multiple kisses on the Gryffindor's lips, managing to get in words between each peck, "I... love... you... so... much! ...You... are... the... most... awesome... guy... ever!" He ended it with one final, firm kiss as he pushed his warm lips against Oliver's. Immediately, the Keeper felt that warm feeling pooling in his stomach again that branched out to his entire body, giving him the undescribable feeling of strength and ecstasy.

Breaking the kiss and wrapping his arms around Cedric's back, Oliver replied, "I'm glad to help. I didn't want you spending Christmas here by yourself. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I did that?" As his lover was so close to his body and its more... primal parts, the Gryffindor could feel his length slowly erecting as it rubbed against Cedric's own trousered member.

_Come on, come on,_

_Make the world a little brighter_

Apparently feeling the excitement, the Hufflepuff nipped at his ear and whispered, "And, who knows, you may get to unwrap your gift early if you're good..."

"Oh, you mean the one with pretty yellow and black wrapping," he whispered back as he lowered his hands and squeezed the fifth-year's firm backside.

An interruption in the form of an overdramatic sigh and kissing noises came from the entrance to the Great Hall, prompting the two lovebirds to turn around, coming face to face with the all-too-familiar Weasley twins. Watching as the two untangled themselves, Fred wolf-whistled before saying in a misty, theatrical voice, "Ah, young love! Isn't it beautiful, George?"

George pretended to swoon as he replied in an uncharacteristically high voice, "Oh yes, Fred!" Immediately, he clasped his arms around his brother and shouted shrilly, "Kiss me, you fool! Kiss me!"

Grabbing his brother and in an even higher, more piercing falsetto, Fred added, "Feel me!"

"Pinch me!"

"Pinch me!"

"Lick me!"

"Bite me!"

"Suck me!"

"Fu..."

"Okay, no more of that," George cut in with his normal voice as he clapped his hand over Fred's mouth, "But I do believe that we should sing a song in honor of our dear Captain and his new beau. Don't you think, Fred?"

Oliver, a look between annoyance and horror on his face, shook his head and began walking towards the grand staircase as he muttered, "Nope. Uh-uh. No way."

_Come on, come on,_

_Just get yourself inside my love_

Removing George's hand from his mouth, Fred replied, "Oh, yes, George. And I think I know just the song!" He looked over to Cedric, who's grey eyes were flashing with giddiness, before asking, "Care to join us in a rousing melody for your dear boytoy, Cedric?"

Waltzing over and putting his arms around the two fifth-year Gryffindors, the Hufflepuff sighed and answered, "More than anything. Shall we?"

As they skipped along through the stone corridor into the entrance hall and up the first steps of the grand staircase, the three started to sing against Oliver's ringing objections:

"_A Scotsman clad in kilt_

_left the bar one evening fair_

_and one could tell by how he walked_

_he drunk more than his share!_

_He fumbled round until he_

_could no longer keep his feet_

_then he stumbled off into the grass_

_to sleep beside the street!_

_RIng ding diddle diddle aye-dee-oh!_

_Ring die diddle aye oh!_

_He stumbled off into the grass_

_to sleep beside the street!_

_About that time two young_

_and lovely girls just happened by..."_

As the words to _Scotsman_ rang loud and reverberated off the walls of the tower, Oliver Wood rested against a row of moving portraits and told himself, "I love him, I really do. But, oh, how I hate that song!" With that, he continued to trudge up the stairs, attempting to block out the new verse that echoed through the school:

_"They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman_

_quiet as can be_

_and lifted up his kilt_

_a little bit so they might see!_

_And there behold for them to view_

_beneath that Scottish skirt_

_was nothing more than God_

_had graced him with upon his birth! _Yes!"

_I'm in love_

-----END OF CHAPTER 3-----


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